On the heat kernel of a Cayley graph of $\operatorname{PSL}_2\mathbb{Z}$

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Autori principali: Karlsson, Anders, Kashaeva, Kamila
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
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author Karlsson, Anders
Kashaeva, Kamila
author_facet Karlsson, Anders
Kashaeva, Kamila
contents In this paper, we obtain an explicit formula for the heat kernel on the Cayley graph of the modular group $PSL_2(Z)$, given by the presentation $\langle a,b\mid a^2=1, b^3=1\rangle$. Our approach extends a method of Chung--Yau by observing that the Cayley graph strongly and regularly covers a weighted infinite line. We solve the spectral problem on this line to obtain an integral expression for its heat kernel, and then lift this to the Cayley graph using spectral transfer principles for strongly regular coverings. The explicit formula allows us to determine the Laplace spectrum, containing eigenvalues and continuous parts. As a by-product, we suggest a conjecture on the lower bound for the spectral gap of Cayley graphs of $\operatorname{PSL}_2\mathbb{F}_p$ with our generators, inspired by the analogy with Selberg's $1/4$-conjecture. Numerical evidence to this conjecture is provided for small primes.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2506_02340
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle On the heat kernel of a Cayley graph of $\operatorname{PSL}_2\mathbb{Z}$
Karlsson, Anders
Kashaeva, Kamila
Group Theory
Spectral Theory
20F65 (primary) 05C50, 05C63 (Secondary)
In this paper, we obtain an explicit formula for the heat kernel on the Cayley graph of the modular group $PSL_2(Z)$, given by the presentation $\langle a,b\mid a^2=1, b^3=1\rangle$. Our approach extends a method of Chung--Yau by observing that the Cayley graph strongly and regularly covers a weighted infinite line. We solve the spectral problem on this line to obtain an integral expression for its heat kernel, and then lift this to the Cayley graph using spectral transfer principles for strongly regular coverings. The explicit formula allows us to determine the Laplace spectrum, containing eigenvalues and continuous parts. As a by-product, we suggest a conjecture on the lower bound for the spectral gap of Cayley graphs of $\operatorname{PSL}_2\mathbb{F}_p$ with our generators, inspired by the analogy with Selberg's $1/4$-conjecture. Numerical evidence to this conjecture is provided for small primes.
title On the heat kernel of a Cayley graph of $\operatorname{PSL}_2\mathbb{Z}$
topic Group Theory
Spectral Theory
20F65 (primary) 05C50, 05C63 (Secondary)
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.02340