MATHEMATICAL TRIPOS Part III

Friday, 5 June, 2009 9:00 am to 12:00 pm

PAPER 27

MODULAR FORMS

Attempt no more than THREE questions.

There are FIVE questions in total.
The questions carry equal weight.

STATIONERY REQUIREMENTS SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Cover sheet None
Treasury Tag
Script paper

You may not start to read the questions

printed on the subsequent pages until
instructed to do so by the Invigilator.
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1 Let k > 2 be an integer.

(a) Explain what is meant by a normalised eigenform in Sk (SL2 (Z)). Show that if f is a
normalised eigenform and λ(m) is the Tm -eigenvalue of f , then we have
(
λ(mn) = λ(m)λ(n) for (m, n) coprime
e+2 e+1 k−1 e
λ(p ) = λ(p)λ(p ) − p λ(p ) for p prime, e > 0.

[You should give proofs of any statements you use concerning Hecke operators.]

(b) Show that if n is prime, then the Tn -eigenvalue λ(n) of f is equal to an (f ), the
coefficient of q n in the q-expansion of f .

(c) By considering the values λ(pe ) for p a fixed prime, or otherwise, show that there
exist infinitely many n such that λ(n) > 21 n(k−1)/2 . [You may assume the polynomial
X 2 − λ(p)X + pk−1 has distinct roots for all p.]

2 Let n > 0 be an integer, Γ a finite index subgroup of SL2 (Z), and f ∈ A2n (Γ).
Show that the meromorphic differential λ(f ) = f · (dz)n ∈ Ωn (H) is Γ-invariant.
Construct a meromorphic differential ω(f ) ∈ Ωn (X(Γ)) such that πΓ∗ [ω(f )] = λ(f ),
and derive formulae relating the orders of vanishing of f and ω(f ).
Let k and N be positive integers and χ a Dirichlet character modulo N . Suppose
there exists some nonzero f ∈ Ak (Γ1 (N ), χ). Construct a divisor D(f ) on X0 (N ) for
which
Sk (Γ1 (N ), χ) = {f φ : φ ∈ L(D(f ))}.

By considering D(f gt ) where g is the element of A2 (Γ0 (N )) corresponding to a

nonzero meromorphic 1-differential, or otherwise, show that there is some t such that
Sk+2t (Γ1 (N ), χ) 6= 0. Show moreover that

dt
dim Sk+2t (Γ1 (N ), χ) = + A(t)
6
where d = [SL2 (Z) : Γ0 (N )] and A(t) depends only on t mod 6.

Part III, Paper 27

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3

  
1 1 0 −1
(a) Show that the group SL2 (Z) is generated by the elements and .
0 1 1 0
Describe the standard fundamental domain D for SL2 (Z) and show that every SL2 (Z)-
orbit in H contains a point of D.

(b) Show that every modular form of level SL2 (Z) P may be written as a polynomial in E4
and E6 . Show that if N is an integer and f = n>0 an q n ∈ Mk (SL2 (Z)), and an ∈ Z
for 0 6 n 6 k+1
12 , then an ∈ Z for all n. [You may assume that the unique normalised
cusp form ∆ ∈ S12 (SL2 (Z)) has integral coefficients.]

(c) Let λ be an element of R with 0 < λ < 1. The subgroup Γλ ⊆ SL2 (R) is generated by
the matrices    
0 −1 1 2λ
A= and B = .
1 0 0 1
√
By considering the stabiliser of the point z = −λ + i 1 − λ2 , or otherwise, show that
if Γλ is discrete, we must have λ = cos πy for some y ∈ Q.

(a) Let N > 1 be an integer and ℓ a prime not dividing N . By applying the matrix
identity
   −1   
ℓ 0 1 n 1 0 ℓ n
=
0 1 N mℓ 0 ℓ N m
−1
for suitable m, n, or otherwise, show that in R(Γ1 (N )) we have wN Tℓ wN = hℓ−1 iTℓ ,
and Tℓ is a normal operator on Sk (Γ1 (N )) with respect to the Petersson product.

(b) Show that Sk (Γ1 (N ))new has a basis of eigenforms for all the Hecke operators Tℓ (ℓ ∤ N )
and Up (p | N ), and
  
 f ∈ Sk (Γ1 (M ))new primitive eigenform
f (tz)  N
M | N, t | M

is a basis for Sk (Γ1 (N )). Show that if f ∈ Sk (Γ0 (N ))new is a primitive eigenform,
wN f = ± N k−1 f . [You may assume that the Hecke operators preserve the new
subspace.]

(c) Let f be a primitive eigenform in Sk (Γ0 (M ))new , p a prime dividing M , and N = M pr

for some integer r > 1. Give matrices for the action of Up and wN on the subspace
of Sk (Γ0 (N ))old corresponding to f , and hence show that this space is a simple Hecke
module, i.e. it has no nonzero proper subspace that is invariant under R(Γ0 (N )).

Part III, Paper 27 [TURN OVER

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5 Write an essay on the theory of modular symbols, explaining how they may be
used to prove that the matrices of Hecke operators on weight 2 cusp forms are rational
and algorithmically computable.
Illustrate the theory F by reference to the (unique) subgroup Γ ⊆ SL2 (Z) with the
property that SL2 (Z) = 7i=1 Γri , for  some  elements r1 , .
. . , r7 , with
 Γr1 = Γ, and right
1 1 0 −1
multiplication by the elements S = and T = induce the permuta-
0 1 1 0
tions (1, 7, 3, 6)(2, 5, 4) and (1, 7)(2, 6)(3, 4) of the cosets {Γri }. What is the rank of
H1 (X(Γ), Z, {cusps}) in this case?

END OF PAPER

Part III, Paper 27