The Chebotarev density theorem in short intervals and some questions of Serre (Q5960971)

Let \(f(z)\) be a cusp form of integer weight, which is not a linear combination of forms with complex multiplication. Then it was shown by \textit{J.-P. Serre} [Publ. Math., Inst Hautes Étud. Sci. 54, 123-202 (1981; Zbl 0496.12011)] that there is a constant \(c\) such that every interval \(N< n\leq cN\) contains an integer \(n\) for which the coefficient \(a_f(n)\) does not vanish. Serre asked whether this range might be shortened, and whether the admissible class of functions \(f\) might be extended. NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEThe first result of the paper is that NEWLINE\[NEWLINE\#\{n\in (X,X+X^\theta]: a_f(n)\neq 0\}\ll_{f,\theta} x^\thetaNEWLINE\]NEWLINE for any \(\theta> 17/41\). The exponent here results from an application of a sieve estimate due to \textit{J. Wu} [Acta Arith. 65, 97-116 (1993; Zbl 0790.11067)]. NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEThe authors go on to consider cusp forms of half-integer weight \(k>1/2\), which are not linear combinations of weight \(3/2\)-theta functions. In this case they establish the existence of an admissible \(\theta= \theta(f)< 1\) such that the above lower bound holds, but with \(X^\theta\) replace by \(X^\theta/\log X\) on the right. To prove this result they first establish a short-interval version of the Chebotarev density theorem, in the form NEWLINE\[NEWLINE\pi_C (X+Y;L/K)- \pi_C(X;L/K)\sim \frac{\#C} {\#\text{Gal} (L/K)} \frac{Y} {\log X},NEWLINE\]NEWLINE valid for \(X^\phi< Y\leq X\). Here one may take any exponent \(\phi\in (1-n_L^{-1},1]\), when \(n_L\) is the degree of the field \(L\). NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEAmongst the corollaries given is one relating to the rank \(r(D)\) of quadratic twists \(E_D\) of a given elliptic curve \(E\). It is shown that there is an exponent \(\theta= \theta(E)< 1\) such that NEWLINE\[NEWLINE\#\{D\in (X,X+X^\theta]: r(D)= 0\}\gg_E X^\theta(\log X)^{-1}.NEWLINE\]