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Zeros of Quasimodular Forms Defined by Iterated Sums

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Abstract

We study the zeros of the quasimodular forms G{2}nG_{\{2\}^n} defined by iterated sums. We first show that, for every n>0n>0, G{2}nG_{\{2\}^n} has exactly nn simple zeros on each of the vertical half-lines \Real(τ)=0 and \Real(τ)=1/2, and that the zeros for consecutive values of nn satisfy an interlacing property. The proof is based on an expression of G{2}nG_{\{2\}^n} in terms of the nn-th derivative of η3η^3 and on the theory of bell-shaped functions, rather than on Rankin–Swinnerton-Dyer method. We also determine the asymptotic behavior of these zeros as n→∞n\to\infty. In addition, we prove that all zeros of G{2}nG_{\{2\}^n} are simple and that G{2}nG_{\{2\}^n} has infinitely many SL_2(\ZZ)-inequivalent zeros. We further show that quasimodular forms of maximal depth have no zeros at CM points. In particular, none of the zeros of G{2}nG_{\{2\}^n} are CM points. Finally, in the special case G2,2G_{2,2}, we show that each Ford circle contains exactly two distinct simple zeros.

Introduction

The study of zeros of quasimodular forms has largely developed in two directions: the distribution of zeros and the transcendence of zeros. In this paper, we study the distribution and transcendence of zeros of quasimodular forms defined by iterated sums.

The zeros of Eisenstein series and RSD method

Rankin and Swinnerton-Dyer proved in [25] that, for even k≥4k \ge4, all the zeros of the Eisenstein series

Gk(τ):=∑m,n∈Z(m,n)≠(0,0)1(mτ+n)kG_k(\tau) := \sum_{\substack{m,n\in\mathbb{Z}\\(m,n)\ne(0,0)}} \frac{1}{(m\tau+n)^k}

in the standard fundamental domain

F:={τ∈H∣−1/2≤Re⁡τ≤0, ∣τ∣≥1}∪{τ∈H∣0<Re⁡τ<1/2, ∣τ∣>1}\mathcal{F} := \{\tau\in\mathbb{H}\mid-1/2 \le\operatorname{Re}\tau\le0,\ |\tau| \ge1\} \cup\{\tau\in\mathbb{H}\mid0 < \operatorname{Re}\tau< 1/2,\ |\tau| > 1\}

lie on the arc of the unit circle given by {eit∣π/2≤t≤2π/3}\{e^{it}\mid\pi/2 \le t \le2\pi/3\}. Here, H\mathbb{H} is the upper-half plane. We briefly recall their argument. Define the function Fk:R→RF_k:\mathbb{R}\to\mathbb{R}; Fk(t)=eikt/2Gk(eit)F_k(t)=e^{ikt/2}G_k(e^{it}). Then, for each integer m∈[k/4,k/3]m\in[k/4,k/3], one has (−1)mFk(2mπ/k)>0(-1)^mF_k(2m\pi/k)>0. The resulting sign changes give a lower bound for the number of zeros of GkG_k on the arc. Combining this with the valence formula, which states that the weighted sum of the orders of the zeros in the fundamental domain is k/12k/12, one obtains their result. We refer to this argument as the RSD method.

Miezaki, Nozaki, and Shigezumi in [22] applied RSD method to the study of zeros of Eisenstein series for the Fricke groups Γ0∗(2)\Gamma^*_0(2) and Γ0∗(3)\Gamma^*_0(3). Moreover, Gun and Oesterlé in [12] adapted the RSD method to prove that, for even k≥4k \ge4, all the zeros of Gk′G'_k in F\mathcal{F} lie on the line Re⁡(τ)=−1/2\operatorname{Re}(\tau)=-1/2. Sugibayashi in [Sug26] obtained an analogous result for the derivatives of Eisenstein series for Γ0∗(2)\Gamma^*_0(2).

As another interesting development, Wittersum and Ringeling in [viR25] obtained a result analogous to that of [12] for Eisenstein series of odd weight, which are not even quasimodular forms.

Our Theorem 1.1 is regarded as an analogue of their result. However, a novel feature of our result is that it is obtained without using RSD method employed in their work.

The zeros of depth one quasimodular forms

Although relatively little is known about the zeros of quasimodular forms of arbitrary depth, several results have been obtained in the depth-one case.

El Basraoui and Sebbar [8] studied the zeros of G2G_2 and proved that it has infinitely many zeros in the half-strip {τ∈H∣−1/2≤Re⁡(τ)<1/2}\{\tau\in\mathbb{H}\mid-1/2\le\operatorname{Re}(\tau)<1/2\}, all of which are simple and pairwise SL2(Z)SL_2(\mathbb{Z})-inequivalent. Subsequently, Imamoglu, Jermann, and Tóth [15] and, independently, Wood and Young [33] refined these results by showing that each Ford circle contains exactly one simple zero of G2G_2, that G2G_2 has no other zeros in the upper half-plane, and by obtaining more precise estimates for the location of the zero in each Ford circle. For further related results, see also [29], [5], and [21].

Valence formulas for derivatives of Eisenstein series, which provide typical examples of depth-one quasimodular forms, were subsequently established in [12 Sug26]. Van Ittersum and Ringeling [31] established a valence formula for arbitrary quasimodular forms of depth one and also considered quasimodular forms of arbitrary depth. More recently, Im and Lee [16] studied real zeros of depth-one quasimodular forms and obtained several results extending those of [12].

quasimodular forms and multiple Eisenstein series

quasimodular forms were introduced by Kaneko and Zagier [20]. The ring of quasimodular forms for SL2(Z)SL_{2}(\mathbb{Z}) is given by M~=C[G2,G4,G6]\widetilde{\mathcal{M}}=\mathbb{C}[G_{2},G_{4},G_{6}]. Moreover, G2,G4,G6G_{2},G_{4},G_{6} are algebraically independent over C\mathbb{C}. Hence, the natural homomorphism

C[X,Y,Z]⟶M~,P(X,Y,Z)⟼P(G2,G4,G6),\mathbb{C}[X,Y,Z]\longrightarrow\widetilde{\mathcal{M}},\qquad P(X,Y,Z)\longmapsto P(G_{2},G_{4},G_{6}),

is an isomorphism. In particular, every quasimodular form admits a unique expression as a polynomial in G2,G4,G6G_{2},G_{4},G_{6}. Under this isomorphism, differentiation with respect to G2G_{2} is defined as differentiation with respect to XX on C[X,Y,Z]\mathbb{C}[X,Y,Z]. We say that a quasimodular form ff has weight kk if f=P(G2,G4,G6)f=P(G_{2},G_{4},G_{6}), where P(X,Y,Z)∈C[X,Y,Z]P(X,Y,Z)\in\mathbb{C}[X,Y,Z] is weighted homogeneous of weight kk, that is, P(t2X,t4Y,t6Z)=tkP(X,Y,Z)P(t^{2}X,t^{4}Y,t^{6}Z)=t^{k}P(X,Y,Z). The depth of ff is the degree of PP with respect to XX.

Multiple Eisenstein series were introduced in [11] as a generalization of the ordinary Eisenstein series GkG_{k} via iterated sums. More precisely, let r∈Z>0r\in\mathbb{Z}_{>0}, k1,…,kr∈Z≥2k_{1},\ldots,k_{r}\in\mathbb{Z}_{\geq2}, and τ∈H\tau\in\mathbb{H}. Set ZN:={n∈Z∣∣n∣<N}\mathbb{Z}_{N}:=\{n\in\mathbb{Z}\mid|n|<N\}. We define an order ≺\prec on the lattice Zτ+Z\mathbb{Z}\tau+\mathbb{Z} by

0≺mτ+n⟺def{m>0,m=0 and n>0.0\prec m\tau+n\overset{\mathrm{def}}{\Longleftrightarrow} \begin{cases} m>0,\\ m=0\ \text{and}\ n>0. \end{cases}

and

m1τ+n1≺m2τ+n2⟺def0≺(m2−m1)τ+(n2−n1).m_{1}\tau+n_{1}\prec m_{2}\tau+n_{2}\overset{\mathrm{def}}{\Longleftrightarrow}0\prec(m_{2}-m_{1})\tau+(n_{2}-n_{1}).

The multiple Eisenstein series of depth rr and index (k1,…,kr)(k_{1},\ldots,k_{r}) is given by the iterated sum

Gk1,…,kr(τ):=lim⁡M→∞lim⁡N→∞∑ws∈MZτ+ZN0≺w1≺⋯≺wr1w1k1⋯wrkr.G_{k_{1},\ldots,k_{r}}(\tau):=\lim_{M\to\infty}\lim_{N\to\infty}\sum_{\substack{w_{s}\in M\mathbb{Z}\tau+\mathbb{Z}_{N}\\0\prec w_{1}\prec\cdots\prec w_{r}}}\frac{1}{w_{1}^{k_{1}}\cdots w_{r}^{k_{r}}}.

The space spanned by these functions has been studied from various perspectives; see, for example, [4] and the references therein. In this paper, we consider only multiple Eisenstein series G{2}nG_{\{2\}^{n}} whose indices have all entries equal to 2. Accordingly, we can regard the following formula, due to Hoffman and Ihara [14], as the definition of G{k}nG_{\{k\}^{n}}.

∑n=0∞G{k}n(τ)Xn=exp⁡(∑m=1∞(−1)m−1Gkm(τ)mXm).(1)\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}G_{\{k\}^{n}}(\tau)X^{n}=\exp\left(\sum_{m=1}^{\infty}(-1)^{m-1}\frac{G_{km}(\tau)}{m}X^{m}\right). \tag*{(1)}

Here, for an integer k≥2k\geq2,

Gk(τ):=ζ(k)+(2πi)k(k−1)!∑n=1∞σk−1(n)qn,whereσk−1(n)=∑d∣ndk−1G_{k}(\tau):=\zeta(k)+\frac{(2\pi i)^{k}}{(k-1)!}\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\sigma_{k-1}(n)q^{n}, \qquad\text{where}\qquad \sigma_{k-1}(n)=\sum_{\substack{d\mid n}}d^{k-1}

and q=e2πiτq=e^{2\pi i\tau}. Note that 2Gk=G~k2G_{k}=\widetilde{G}_{k} when kk is even. For example, we have

G{2}0=1,G2,2=12(G22−G4),G2,2,2=16G23−12G2G4+13G6.G_{\{2\}^{0}}=1,\qquad G_{2,2}=\frac{1}{2}(G_{2}^{2}-G_{4}),\qquad G_{2,2,2}=\frac{1}{6}G_{2}^{3}-\frac{1}{2}G_{2}G_{4}+\frac{1}{3}G_{6}.

It follows from (1) that

ddG2G{2}n=G{2}n−1(2)\frac{d}{dG_{2}}G_{\{2\}^{n}}=G_{\{2\}^{n-1}} \tag*{(2)}

and hence G{2}nG_{\{2\}^{n}} is a quasimodular form of weight 2n2n and depth nn. Moreover,

Q[G2,G4,G6]=Q[G2,G2,2,G2,2,2].\mathbb{Q}[G_{2},G_{4},G_{6}]=\mathbb{Q}[G_{2},G_{2,2},G_{2,2,2}].

Transcendence of quasimodular forms

Transcendence questions for quasimodular forms have been studied from various perspectives. A classical Schneider theorem [27] states that if τ∈H\tau\in\mathbb{H} is algebraic but not a CM point, then j(τ)j(\tau) is transcendental. In a different direction, Nesterenko in [23] established a remarkable algebraic independence result for Eisenstein series. These results have become fundamental tools in the transcendence theory of quasimodular forms. These ideas have been further developed to study special values and zeros of quasimodular forms.

Summary of our results

References

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