Extreme values of zeta and \(L\)-functions (Q943364)

This beautiful paper presents a elegant new method for establishing \(\Omega\)-results for \(L\)-functions. Theorem 1 states that if \(T\) is large enough then the interval \([T,2T]\) contains a value \(t\) with \[ |\zeta (1/2+it)| \geq \exp \left\{(1+o(1))\frac{(\log t)^{1/2}}{(\log\log t)^{1/2}}\right\}. \] This improves a result of \textit{R. Balasubramanian} and \textit{K. Ramachandra} [Proc. Indian Acad. Sci., Sect. A 86, 341--351 (1977; Zbl 0373.10026)]. It is also proved that every large interval \([D,2D]\) contains a fundamental discriminant \(d\) for which \[ L(1/2, \chi_d) \geq \exp\left\{\left(\frac{1}{\sqrt 5}+o(1)\right) \frac{(\log d)^{1/2}}{\log\log d}\right\}, \] where \(\chi_d\) is the quadratic character attached to \(d\). Similarly there is a \(d\) with \[ | L(1/2, \chi_d) | \leq \exp\left\{(\left(\frac{1}{\sqrt 5}+o(1)\right)\frac{(\log d)^{1/2}}{\log \log d}\right\}. \] A further result involves \(L\)-functions for Hecke eigenforms of the full modular group. The method also gives a good lower bound for the measure of the set of \(t\) for which \(\zeta(1/2+it)\) is large. The proof uses the smoothed mean-values \[ M_1(R,T)=\int^\infty_{-\infty}| R(t)|^2w(t/T)\,dt \] and \[ M_2(R,T)=\int^\infty_{-\infty}\zeta(1/2+it)| R(t)|^2w(t/T) \,dt, \] where \(w\) is a smooth function supported on \([1,2]\) and \(R(s)= \sum_{n\leq N}r(n) n^{-s}\) with \(N\leq T\). It follows that \[ \max_{[T,2T]} |\zeta(1/2+it)| \gg\frac{| M_1(R,T)|} {M_2(R,T)}. \] The paper shows how to choose the coefficients \(r(n)\) to maximize this ratio, and the results follow.