nLab zeta function of a Riemann surface

Idea

The zeta function naturally associated to a Riemann surface/complex curve, hence the zeta function of an elliptic differential operator for the Laplace operator on the Riemann surface (and hence essentially the Feynman propagator for the scalar fields on that surface) is directly analogous to the zeta functions associated with arithmetic curves, notably the Artin L-functions.

(Minakshisundaram-Pleijel 49) considered the zeta function of an elliptic differential operator for the Laplace operator on a Riemann surface.

Motivated by the resemblance of the Selberg trace formula to Weil’s formula for the sum of zeros of the Riemann zeta function, (Selberg 56) defined for any compact hyperbolic Riemann surface a zeta function-like expression, the Selberg zeta function of a Riemann surface. (e.g. Bump, below theorem 19).

Much of this is more generally defined/considered on higher dimensional hyperbolic manifolds.

That the Selberg zeta function is indeed proportional to the zeta function of a Laplace operator is due to (D’Hoker-Phong 86, Sarnak 87), and that it is similarly related to the eta function of a Dirac operator on the given Riemann surface/hyperbolic manifold goes back to (Milson 78), with further development including (Park 01). For review of the literature on this relation see also the beginning of (Friedman 06).

Examples

For a complex torus / complex elliptic curve

For $\mathbb{C}/(\mathbb{Z}\oplus \tau \mathbb{Z})$ a complex torus (complex elliptic curve) equipped with its standard flat Riemannian metric, then the zeta function of the corresponding Laplace operator $\Delta$ is

$$\zeta_{\Delta} = (2\pi)^{-2 s} E(s) \coloneqq (2\pi)^{-2 s} \underset{(k,l)\in \mathbb{Z}\times\mathbb{Z}-(0,0)}{\sum} \frac{1}{{\vert k +\tau l\vert}^{2s}} \,.$$

The corresponding functional determinant is

$$\exp( E^\prime_{\Delta}(0) ) = (Im \tau)^2 {\vert \eta(\tau)\vert}^4 \,,$$

where $\eta$ is the Dedekind eta function.

(recalled e.g. in Todorov 03, page 3)

Of Dirac operators twisted by a flat connection

For $A$ a flat connection on a Riemannian manifold, write $D_A$ for the Dirac operator twisted by this connection.

On a suitable hyperbolic manifold, the partition function/theta function for $D_A$ appears in (Bunke-Olbrich 94, prop. 6.3) (and Bunke-Olbrich 94a, def. 3.1) for the odd dimensional case). The corresponding Selberg zeta formula is (Bunke-Olbrich 94a, def. 4.1). This has a form analogous to that of Artin L-functions with the flat connection replaced by a Galois representation.

Properties

Analogy with Artin L-function

That the Selberg/Ruelle zeta function is equivalently an Euler product of characteristic polynomials is due to (Gangolli 77, (2.72) Fried 86, prop. 5).

That it is in particular the Euler product of characteristic polynomials of the monodromies/holonomies of the flat connection corresponding to the given group representation is (Bunke-Olbrich 94, prop. 6.3) for the even-dimensional case and (Bunke-Olbrich 94a) for the odd-dimensional case.

Notice that this is analogous to the standard definition of an Artin L-function if one interprets a Frobenius map $Frob_p$ (as discussed there) as an element of the arithmetic fundamental group of an arithmetic curve and a Galois representation as a flat connection.

Function field analogy

function field analogy

	number fields (“function fields of curves over F1”)	function fields of curves over finite fields $\mathbb{F}_q$ (arithmetic curves)	Riemann surfaces/complex curves
affine and projective line
	$\mathbb{Z}$ (integers)	$\mathbb{F}_q[z]$ (polynomials, polynomial algebra on affine line $\mathbb{A}^1_{\mathbb{F}_q}$)	$\mathcal{O}_{\mathbb{C}}$ (holomorphic functions on complex plane)
	$\mathbb{Q}$ (rational numbers)	$\mathbb{F}_q(z)$ (rational fractions/rational function on affine line $\mathbb{A}^1_{\mathbb{F}_q}$)	meromorphic functions on complex plane
	$p$ (prime number/non-archimedean place)	$x \in \mathbb{F}_p$, where $z - x \in \mathbb{F}_q[z]$ is the irreducible monic polynomial of degree one	$x \in \mathbb{C}$, where $z - x \in \mathcal{O}_{\mathbb{C}}$ is the function which subtracts the complex number $x$ from the variable $z$
	$\infty$ (place at infinity)		$\infty$
	$Spec(\mathbb{Z})$ (Spec(Z))	$\mathbb{A}^1_{\mathbb{F}_q}$ (affine line)	complex plane
	$Spec(\mathbb{Z}) \cup place_{\infty}$	$\mathbb{P}_{\mathbb{F}_q}$ (projective line)	Riemann sphere
	$\partial_p \coloneqq \frac{(-)^p - (-)}{p}$ (Fermat quotient)	$\frac{\partial}{\partial z}$ (coordinate derivation)	“
	genus of the rational numbers = 0		genus of the Riemann sphere = 0
formal neighbourhoods
	$\mathbb{Z}/(p^n \mathbb{Z})$ (prime power local ring)	$\mathbb{F}_q [z]/((z-x)^n \mathbb{F}_q [z])$ ($n$-th order univariate local Artinian $\mathbb{F}_q$-algebra)	$\mathbb{C}[z]/((z-x)^n \mathbb{C}[z])$ ($n$-th order univariate Weil $\mathbb{C}$-algebra)
	$\mathbb{Z}_p$ (p-adic integers)	$\mathbb{F}_q[ [ z -x ] ]$ (power series around $x$)	$\mathbb{C}[ [z-x] ]$ (holomorphic functions on formal disk around $x$)
	$Spf(\mathbb{Z}_p)\underset{Spec(\mathbb{Z})}{\times} X$ (“$p$-arithmetic jet space” of $X$ at $p$)		formal disks in $X$
	$\mathbb{Q}_p$ (p-adic numbers)	$\mathbb{F}_q((z-x))$ (Laurent series around $x$)	$\mathbb{C}((z-x))$ (holomorphic functions on punctured formal disk around $x$)
	$\mathbb{A}_{\mathbb{Q}} = \underset{p\; place}{\prod^\prime}\mathbb{Q}_p$ (ring of adeles)	$\mathbb{A}_{\mathbb{F}_q((t))}$ ( adeles of function field )	$\underset{x \in \mathbb{C}}{\prod^\prime} \mathbb{C}((z-x))$ (restricted product of holomorphic functions on all punctured formal disks, finitely of which do not extend to the unpunctured disks)
	$\mathbb{I}_{\mathbb{Q}} = GL_1(\mathbb{A}_{\mathbb{Q}})$ (group of ideles)	$\mathbb{I}_{\mathbb{F}_q((t))}$ ( ideles of function field )	$\underset{x \in \mathbb{C}}{\prod^\prime} GL_1(\mathbb{C}((z-x)))$
theta functions
	Jacobi theta function
zeta functions
	Riemann zeta function	Goss zeta function
branched covering curves
	$K$ a number field ($\mathbb{Q} \hookrightarrow K$ a possibly ramified finite dimensional field extension)	$K$ a function field of an algebraic curve $\Sigma$ over $\mathbb{F}_p$	$K_\Sigma$ (sheaf of rational functions on complex curve $\Sigma$)
	$\mathcal{O}_K$ (ring of integers)		$\mathcal{O}_{\Sigma}$ (structure sheaf)
	$Spec_{an}(\mathcal{O}_K) \to Spec(\mathbb{Z})$ (spectrum with archimedean places)	$\Sigma$ (arithmetic curve)	$\Sigma \to \mathbb{C}P^1$ (complex curve being branched cover of Riemann sphere)
	$\frac{(-)^p - \Phi(-)}{p}$ (lift of Frobenius morphism/Lambda-ring structure)	$\frac{\partial}{\partial z}$	“
	genus of a number field	genus of an algebraic curve	genus of a surface
formal neighbourhoods
	$v$ prime ideal in ring of integers $\mathcal{O}_K$	$x \in \Sigma$	$x \in \Sigma$
	$K_v$ (formal completion at $v$)		$\mathbb{C}((z_x))$ (function algebra on punctured formal disk around $x$)
	$\mathcal{O}_{K_v}$ (ring of integers of formal completion)		$\mathbb{C}[ [ z_x ] ]$ (function algebra on formal disk around $x$)
	$\mathbb{A}_K$ (ring of adeles)		$\prod^\prime_{x\in \Sigma} \mathbb{C}((z_x))$ (restricted product of function rings on all punctured formal disks around all points in $\Sigma$)
	$\mathcal{O}$		$\prod_{x\in \Sigma} \mathbb{C}[ [z_x] ]$ (function ring on all formal disks around all points in $\Sigma$)
	$\mathbb{I}_K = GL_1(\mathbb{A}_K)$ (group of ideles)		$\prod^\prime_{x\in \Sigma} GL_1(\mathbb{C}((z_x)))$
Galois theory
	Galois group	“	$\pi_1(\Sigma)$ fundamental group
	Galois representation	“	flat connection (“local system”) on $\Sigma$
class field theory
	class field theory	“	geometric class field theory
	Hilbert reciprocity law	Artin reciprocity law	Weil reciprocity law
	$GL_1(K)\backslash GL_1(\mathbb{A}_K)$ (idele class group)	“
	$GL_1(K)\backslash GL_1(\mathbb{A}_K)/GL_1(\mathcal{O})$	“	$Bun_{GL_1}(\Sigma)$ (moduli stack of line bundles, by Weil uniformization theorem)
non-abelian class field theory and automorphy
	number field Langlands correspondence	function field Langlands correspondence	geometric Langlands correspondence
	$GL_n(K) \backslash GL_n(\mathbb{A}_K)//GL_n(\mathcal{O})$ (constant sheaves on this stack form unramified automorphic representations)	“	$Bun_{GL_n(\mathbb{C})}(\Sigma)$ (moduli stack of bundles on the curve $\Sigma$, by Weil uniformization theorem)
	Tamagawa-Weil for number fields	Tamagawa-Weil for function fields
theta functions
	Hecke theta function		functional determinant line bundle of Dirac operator/chiral Laplace operator on $\Sigma$
zeta functions
	Dedekind zeta function	Weil zeta function	zeta function of a Riemann surface/of the Laplace operator on $\Sigma$
higher dimensional spaces
zeta functions	Hasse-Weil zeta function

Related concepts

context/function field analogy	theta function $\theta$	zeta function $\zeta$ (= Mellin transform of $\theta(0,-)$)	L-function $L_{\mathbf{z}}$ (= Mellin transform of $\theta(\mathbf{z},-)$)	eta function $\eta$	special values of L-functions
physics/2d CFT	partition function $\theta(\mathbf{z},\mathbf{\tau}) = Tr(\exp(-\mathbf{\tau} \cdot (D_\mathbf{z})^2))$ as function of complex structure $\mathbf{\tau}$ of worldsheet $\Sigma$ (hence polarization of phase space) and background gauge field/source $\mathbf{z}$	analytically continued trace of Feynman propagator $\zeta(s) = Tr_{reg}\left(\frac{1}{(D_{0})^2}\right)^s = \int_{0}^\infty \tau^{s-1} \,\theta(0,\tau)\, d\tau$	analytically continued trace of Feynman propagator in background gauge field $\mathbf{z}$: $L_{\mathbf{z}}(s) \coloneqq Tr_{reg}\left(\frac{1}{(D_{\mathbf{z}})^2}\right)^s = \int_{0}^\infty \tau^{s-1} \,\theta(\mathbf{z},\tau)\, d\tau$	analytically continued trace of Dirac propagator in background gauge field $\mathbf{z}$ $\eta_{\mathbf{z}}(s) = Tr_{reg} \left(\frac{sgn(D_{\mathbf{z}})}{ { \vert D_{\mathbf{z}} } \vert }\right)^s$	regularized 1-loop vacuum amplitude $pv\, L_{\mathbf{z}}(1) = Tr_{reg}\left(\frac{1}{(D_{\mathbf{z}})^2}\right)$ / regularized fermionic 1-loop vacuum amplitude $pv\, \eta_{\mathbf{z}}(1)= Tr_{reg} \left( \frac{D_{\mathbf{z}}}{(D_{\mathbf{z}})^2} \right)$ / vacuum energy $-\frac{1}{2}L_{\mathbf{z}}^\prime(0) = Z_H = \frac{1}{2}\ln\;det_{reg}(D_{\mathbf{z}}^2)$
Riemannian geometry (analysis)		zeta function of an elliptic differential operator	zeta function of an elliptic differential operator	eta function of a self-adjoint operator	functional determinant, analytic torsion
complex analytic geometry	section $\theta(\mathbf{z},\mathbf{\tau})$ of line bundle over Jacobian variety $J(\Sigma_{\mathbf{\tau}})$ in terms of covering coordinates $\mathbf{z}$ on $\mathbb{C}^g \to J(\Sigma_{\mathbf{\tau}})$	zeta function of a Riemann surface	Selberg zeta function		Dedekind eta function
arithmetic geometry for a function field		Goss zeta function (for arithmetic curves) and Weil zeta function (in higher dimensional arithmetic geometry)
arithmetic geometry for a number field	Hecke theta function, automorphic form	Dedekind zeta function (being the Artin L-function $L_{\mathbf{z}}$ for $\mathbf{z} = 0$ the trivial Galois representation)	Artin L-function $L_{\mathbf{z}}$ of a Galois representation $\mathbf{z}$, expressible “in coordinates” (by Artin reciprocity) as a finite-order Hecke L-function (for 1-dimensional representations) and generally (via Langlands correspondence) by an automorphic L-function (for higher dimensional reps)		class number $\cdot$ regulator
arithmetic geometry for $\mathbb{Q}$	Jacobi theta function ($\mathbf{z} = 0$)/ Dirichlet theta function ($\mathbf{z} = \chi$ a Dirichlet character)	Riemann zeta function (being the Dirichlet L-function $L_{\mathbf{z}}$ for Dirichlet character $\mathbf{z} = 0$)	Artin L-function of a Galois representation $\mathbf{z}$ , expressible “in coordinates” (via Artin reciprocity) as a Dirichlet L-function (for 1-dimensional Galois representations) and generally (via Langlands correspondence) as an automorphic L-function

References

Original articles include

• S. Minakshisundaram, ; Å Pleijel, Some properties of the eigenfunctions of the Laplace-operator on Riemannian manifolds (1949), Canadian Journal of Mathematics 1: 242–256, doi:10.4153/CJM-1949-021-5, ISSN 0008-414X, MR 0031145 (web)

• Atle Selberg, Harmonic analysis and discontinuous groups in weakly symmetric Riemannian spaces with applications to Dirichlet series, Journal of the Indian Mathematical Society 20 (1956) 47-87.

• John Milson?, Closed geodesic and the $\eta$-invariant, Ann. of Math., 108, (1978) 1-39 ()

Review includes

• Wikipedia, Selberg zeta function

• Wikipedia, Minakshisundaram–Pleijel zeta function

• Matthew Watkins, citation collection on Selberg trace formula and zeta functions

• Bump, below theorem 19 in Spectral theory of $\Gamma \backslash SL(2,\mathbb{R})$ (pdf)

Expression of the Selberg/Ruelle zeta function as an Euler product of characteristic polynomials is due to

• Ramesh Gangolli, Zeta functions of Selberg’s type for compact space forms of symmetric spaces of rank one, Illinois J. Math. Volume 21, Issue 1 (1977), 1-41. (Euclid)

• David Fried, The zeta functions of Ruelle and Selberg. I, Annales scientifiques de l’École Normale Supérieure, Sér. 4, 19 no. 4 (1986), p. 491-517 (Numdam)

Discussion of the relation between, on the one hand, zeta function of Laplace operators/eta funcstions of Dirac operators and, on the other hand, Selberg zeta functions includes

• Eric D'HokerDuong Phong, Communications in Mathematical Physics, Volume 104, Number 4 (1986), 537-545 (Euclid)

• Peter Sarnak, Determinants of Laplacians, Communications in Mathematical Physics, Volume 110, Number 1 (1987), 113-120. (Euclid)

• Ulrich Bunke, Martin Olbrich, Andreas Juhl, The wave kernel for the Laplacian on the classical locally symmetric spaces of rank one, theta functions, trace formulas and the Selberg zeta function, Annals of Global Analysis and Geometry February 1994, Volume 12, Issue 1, pp 357-405

• Ulrich Bunke, Martin Olbrich, Theta and zeta functions for locally symmetric spaces of rank one (arXiv:dg-ga/9407013)

and for odd-dimensional spaces also in

• Ulrich Bunke, Martin Olbrich, Theta and zeta functions for odd-dimensional locally symmetric spaces of rank one (arXiv:dg-ga/9407012)

• Ulrich Bunke, Martin Olbrich $\Gamma$-Cohomology and the Selberg zeta function (arXiv:dg-ga/9411004)

• Ulrich Bunke, Martin Olbrich, Group cohomology and the singularities of the Selberg zeta function associated to a Kleinian group (arXiv:dg-ga/9603003)

• Ulrich Bunke, Martin Olbrich, Selberg zeta and theta functions: a differential operator approach, Akademie Verlag 1995

• Jinsung Park, Eta invariants and regularized determinants for odd dimensional hyperbolic manifolds with cusps (arXiv:0111175)

• Joshua Friedman, The Selberg trace formula and Selberg zeta-function for cofinite Kleinian groups with finite-dimensional unitary representations (arXiv:math/0410067)

• Joshua Friedman, Regularized determinants of the Laplacian for cofinite Kleinian groups with finite-dimensional unitary representations, Communications in Mathematical Physics (arXiv:math/0605288)

See also

• Andrey Todorov, The analogue of the Dedekind eta function for CY threefolds, 2003 pdf