Generic representations for the unitary group in three variables (Q5957369)

The main result of this paper is the existence of a globally generic member in a tempered \(L\)-packet of cuspidal automorphic representations on the quasi-split unitary group \(U_{2,1}\) in three variables, over a number field \(F\). The method of proof is by the relative trace formula, comparing \(U= U_{2,1}\), regarded as an algebraic group over \(E\), where \(E\) is the quadratic extension of \(F\), defining the unitary group. The comparison is between cuspidal globally generic representations on \(U\) and cuspidal representations on \(G\), which are distinguished by \(H(F_{\mathbf A})= \text{GL}_3(F_{\mathbf A})\), where \(F_{\mathbf A}\) denotes the adele ring of \(F\); \(H\) is the group \(\text{GL}_3\), viewed as an algebraic group over \(F\). Denote by \(Z\) the subgroup of scalar matrices in \(H\). Recall that a cuspidal representation \(\Pi\) on \(G\) is distinguished by \(H(F_{\mathbf A})\), if the following integral is not identically trivial on the space \(\Pi\), \[ J(\phi)= \int_{Z_H(F_{\mathbf A})H(F)\setminus H(F_{\mathbf A})}\phi(h) dh. \] The setup for the relative formula in this case is as follows. Let \(f\) be a smooth function of compact support on \(G(E_{\mathbf A})\) and consider the kernel \[ K_f(x,y)= \int_{Z(E)\setminus Z(E_{\mathbf A})} \sum_{\xi\in G(E)} f(x^{-1}\xi y) \omega(z) dz. \] Here, \(Z\) is the subgroup of scalar matrices in \(G\), and \(\omega\) is an automorphic character of \(E^*_{\mathbf A}\), ``lifted'' from a fixed automorphic character \(\zeta\) on the group of norm one elements of \(E\). Now consider the distribution \[ J(f)= \int_{Z_H(F_{\mathbf A})H(F)\setminus H(F_{\mathbf A})} \int_{N(E)\setminus N(E_{\mathbf A})} K_f(h, n)\theta(n) dn dh. \] Here \(\theta\) is a non-degenerate character of \(N(E)\setminus N(E_{\mathbf A})\), and \(N\) is the standard maximal unipotent subgroup of \(G\). Similarly, for \(U\), consider the following kernel function, and the corresponding distribution, for a smooth function \(f'\) of compact support on \(U(F_{\mathbf A})\), \[ K_{f'}'(x, y)= \int_{Z_U(F)\setminus Z_U(F_{\mathbf A})} \sum_{\xi\in U(F)} f'(x^{-1}\xi yz)\zeta(z) dz, \] \[ J'(f')= \int_{N'(F)\times N'(F)\setminus N'(F_{\mathbf A})\times N'(F_{\mathbf A})} K_{f'}(n_1, n_2)\theta'(n_1) \theta'(n_2) dn_1 dn_2. \] Here \(Z_U\) is the center of \(U\), \(N'\) is the standard maximal unipotent subgroup of \(U\), and \(\theta'\) is a non-degenerate character of \(N'(F)\setminus N'(F_{\mathbf A})\). The authors show that for every \(f\) there is a ``matching'' \(f'\), such that \(J(f)= J'(f')\). Next, the authors decompose the kernels \(K\) and \(K'\) following cuspidal data \(\chi\) for \(G\) and \(\zeta'\) for \(U\). They obtain the corresponding kernels \(K_\chi\) and \(K_{\chi'}'\), and then they define the corresponding distributions \(J_\chi(f)\) and \(J_{\chi'}'(f')\). For cuspidal \(\chi\), with central character \(\omega\), \(\chi\) is distinguished by \(H\), if and only if \(J_\chi\) is not identically zero. The authors show that for cuspidal \(\chi\) \[ J_\chi(f)= \sum_{\chi'} J_{\chi'}'(f'), \] where the sum is over all the stable packet which lifts to \(\chi\), under the standard base change lift. Recall here that this base change lift was obtained by Rogawski. It follows that if \(\chi\) is distinguished, then there is \(\chi'\) which lifts to \(\chi\), such that \(J_{\chi'}'(f')\) is not identically zero, and this implies that \(\chi'\) is globally generic. This statement for endoscopic packets on \(U\) is already known, by a theorem of Gelbart, Rogawski and Soudry.