Average values of modular \(L\)-series via the relative trace formula (Q2471443)

Let \(k> 2\) be an even integer and \(N\) a prime number. Let \(S_N(k)\) denote the space of holomorphic cusp forms of weight \(k\) for the congruence subgroup \(\Gamma_0(N)\) and choose an orthonormal basis \(\mathcal{F}_N(k)^{\text{new}}\) of Hecke eigenforms spanning the subspace of new forms. For \(\varphi\in S_N(k)\) associate the \(L\) function \(L(s,\varphi)\) normalized so that the functional equation relates \(s\) to \(1-s\). In addition, let \(\chi\) be a primitive quadratic character of conductor \(D<0\) such that \(D\) is not divisible by \(N\) and \(\chi(-N)=1\) and denote by \(L(s,\chi)\) the associated Dirichlet \(L\)-function. Let \(p\) be a prime number such that \(p\neq N\) and \(p\) is coprime to \(D\). For \(\varphi\in\mathcal{F}_N(k)^{\text{new}}\) define \(c_p(\varphi)\) to be the eigenvalue of the Hecke operator \(T_p\) with eigenvector \(\varphi\) and \(a_p(\varphi)=\frac{c_p(\varphi)}{p^{(k-1)/2}}\) the normalized eigenvalue satisfying \(a_p(\varphi)\in(-2,2)\). For any prime \(p\) define two probability measures \(\mu_{\pm}\) on \([-2,2]\), by \[ \mu_+(x)=\frac{1}{2\pi}\frac{(p-1)\sqrt{4-x^2}}{(p^{1/2}+p^{-1/2}-x)^2}\,dx \] and \[ \mu_-(x)=\frac{1}{2\pi}\frac{(p+1)\sqrt{4-x^2}}{(p^{1/2}+p^{-1/2})^2-x^2}\,dx \] and let \(\mu_p\) be \(\mu_+\) if \(\chi(p)=1\) and \(\mu_-\) if \(\chi(p)=-1\). The main result is that, for any subinterval \(J\) of \((-2,2)\) and any \(\varepsilon>0\), the following mean value estimate holds: \[ \sum_{\substack{ \varphi\in\mathcal{F}_N(k)^{\text{new}}\\ a_p(\varphi)\in J}} \frac{L(\frac{1}{2},\varphi\otimes\chi) L(\frac{1}{2},\varphi)}{(\varphi,\varphi)}=2c_kL(1,\chi)\mu_p(J)+O (N^{-k/2+\varepsilon}), \] with some constant \(c_k\) (given explicitly given in the text). The proof of this result makes use of the relative trace formula of Jacquet. This result is a generalization of a well known result of \textit{J.-P. Serre} [J. Am. Math. Soc. 10, No. 1, 75--102 (1997; Zbl 0871.11032)] regarding the equidistribution of the \(a_p(\varphi)\)'s (not weighted by the \(L\)-functions). A direct corollary of this result is that there are cusp forms \(\varphi\) of weight \(k\) and a large prime level for which \(a_p(\varphi)\) lies arbitrarily close to \(2\) or \(-2\) and \(L(\frac{1}{2},\varphi\otimes\chi) L(\frac{1}{2},\varphi)\) is nonzero.