On the Siegel Eisenstein series of degree two for low weights (Q500085)

Let \(E_k(\Gamma ^2(p))\) denote the space spanned by the Siegel Eisenstein series of genus 2 and weight \(k\) for \(\Gamma ^2(p)\). By the classical theory, the dimension of this space is \(\frac{1}{2} (p^4-1)\) if \(k\geq 4\). For weight 1, the author has shown in a previous paper [Math. Z. 260, No. 1, 187--201 (2008; Zbl 1157.11018)] that \(\dim (E_1(\Gamma ^2(p)) = \frac{1}{2}(p^2+1 )\) if the prime \(p\) is 3 mod 4 and \(\dim (E_1(\Gamma ^2(p)) = 0 \) for \(p\equiv 1 \pmod{4} \). The present paper deals with the last open cases \(k=2\) and \(3\). It is shown that \[ \dim (E_3(\Gamma ^2(p)) = \frac{1}{2} (p^4-1) \] (so the general formula already holds for \(k\geq 3\)), and \[ \dim (E_2(\Gamma ^2(p)) = \frac{1}{2} (p^2+1)(p^2-p-3) \] (or possibly \(\frac{1}{2} (p^2+1)(p^2-p-4)\) if \(p\equiv 1 \pmod{4}\)). The ambiguity comes from the open question whether \(\dim(E_2(\Gamma _0^2(p),\chi_p)) \) is 2 or 3.