Distinguished representations of SO(n+1,1) x SO(n,1), periods and branching laws

Abstract

Given irreducible representations $Π$ and $π$ of the rank one special orthogonal groups $G=SO(n+1,1)$ and $G'=SO(n,1)$ with nonsingular integral infinitesimal character, we state in terms of $θ$-stable parameter necessary and sufficient conditions so that \[ \operatorname{Hom}_{G'}(Π|_{G'}, π)\not = \{0\}. \] In the special case that both $Π$ and $π$ are tempered, this implies the Gross--Prasad conjectures for tempered representations of $SO(n+1,1) \times SO(n,1)$ which are nontrivial on the center. We apply these results to construct nonzero periods and distinguished representations. If both $Π$ and $ π$ have the trivial infinitesimal character $ρ$ then we use a theorem that the periods are nonzero on the minimal $K$-type to obtain a nontrivial bilinear form on the $({\mathfrak g},K)$-cohomology of the representations.