Beyond Endoscopy and special forms on GL(2) (Q4832098)

In the work [``Beyond endoscopy.'' in: Contributions to automorphic forms, geometry and number theory, 611--697 (Baltimore 2004; Zbl 1078.11033)] \textit{R. P. Langlands} proposes intriguing new ideas, which he expects can be applied to new cases of functoriality. The paper under review demonstrates how this approach can be carried out for \(\text{GL}(2)\). The first main result is a new proof of the classification of dihedral forms on \(\text{GL}(2)\) (a dihedral form is defined as a form whose symmetric square \(L\)-function has a pole). The proof is entirely different from the original, endoscopic proof of \textit{J.-P. Labesse} and \textit{R. P. Langlands} [Can. J. Math. 31, 726--785 (1979; Zbl 0421.12014)]. It uses an infinite limiting process in the trace formula suggested by Langlands in the above-mentioned work. The second part of the paper explains the relationship of Langlands' idea to the results of [\textit{P. Michel} and \textit{A. Venkatesh}, Int. Math. Res. Not. 2002, No. 38, 2021--2027 (2002; Zbl 1008.11019)] that count automorphic forms associated to Galois representations. The author proves results of a similar nature over an arbitrary number field.