Algebraic Theory of Indefinite Theta Functions - IHES

Algebraic Theory of Indefinite Theta Functions

Séminaire de géométrie arithmétique
Jacobi’s theta function $Theta(q) := 1 + 2q + 2q^4 + 2q^9 + cdots $, and more generally the theta functions associated to positive-definite quadratic forms, have the property that they are modular forms of half-integral weight. The usual proof of this fact is completely analytic in nature, using the Poisson summation formula. However, $Theta$ is also related to diffusion of heat on a uniform circle-shaped material: it is a restriction of the fundamental solution to the heat equation on a circle. By algebraically characterizing the heat equation as a specific flat connection on a certain bundle on a modular curve, we produce a completely algebraic technique for proving modularity of theta functions. More specifically, we produce a refinement of the algebraic theory of theta functions due to Moret-Bailly, Faltings–Chai, and Candelori. As a consequence of the algebraic nature of our theory and the fact that it applies to indefinite quadratic forms / non-ample line bundles (which the prior algebraic theory does not), we also generalize the Kudla–Millson analytic theory of theta functions for indefinite quadratic forms to the case of torsion coefficients. This is joint work with Akshay Venkatesh. 
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