Strong wavefront lemma and counting lattice points in sectors (Q980511)

Asymptotic estimates for the number of integral points of norm \(<T\) on symmetric spaces have been obtained by \textit{W. Duke, Z. Rudnick} and \textit{P. Sarnak} [Duke Math. J. 71, No. 1, 143--179 (1993; Zbl 0798.11024)] and, using different methods, by \textit{A. Eskin} and \textit{C. McMullen} [Duke Math. J. 71, No. 1, 181--209 (1993; Zbl 0798.11025)]. In the present article, the second approach is generalized to give estimates for the number of points in certain sectors of the symmetric space. This is best explained by an application to quadratic forms which also makes clear the nature of sectors. So let \(Q_W\) be the set of all quadratic forms on a Euclidean space \(W\) of dimension \(d\). Fix an integral structure on \(W\). Then the above papers imply \[ \#\{ q\in Q_W(\mathbb Z):\|q\|<T\} \sim c\;T^{d(d-1)/2} \] as \(T\to\infty\) for some constant \(c\). In the current paper, this is refined as follows: Fix an orthogonal decomposition \(W=\bigoplus_{j=1}^n W_j\) such that each \(W_j\) is spanned by \(W_j\cap W(\mathbb Z)\). Let \(\Omega\subset \text{SO}(W)\) and \(\Omega'\subset Q_{W_1}\times\dots\times Q_{W_n}\) and set \[ \Omega''=\{ a_1 q_1+\dots+a_nq_n: a_1>\dots>a_n>0,\;(q_1,\dots,q_n)\in\Omega'\} \] and \[ N_T(\Omega,\Omega')=\#\left(Q_W(\mathbb Z)\cap \Omega\Omega'\right). \] Under mild hypotheses on \(\Omega\) and \(\Omega'\), the authors prove \[ N_T(\Omega,\Omega') \sim c\;T^{d(d-\dim W_n)/2} \] as \(T\to\infty\), for some \(c=c(\Omega\Omega')>0\). The main technical tool in the proof is a stronger version of a lemma of Eskin and McMullen, called the wavefront lemma, which asserts the uniformity of the (generalized) Cartan decomposition.