Quadratic forms in 8 prime variables

Abstract

We give an asymptotic for the number of prime solutions to $Q(x_1,\dots, x_8) = N$, subject to a mild non-degeneracy condition on the homogeneous quadratic form $Q$. The argument initially proceeds via the circle method, but this does not suffice by itself. To obtain a nontrivial bound on certain averages of exponential sums, we interpret these sums as matrix coefficients for the Weil representation of the symplectic group $\operatorname{Sp}_8(\mathbf{Z}/q\mathbf{Z})$. Averages of such matrix coefficients are then bounded using an amplification argument and a convergence result for convolutions of measures, which reduces matters to understanding the action of certain 12-dimensional subgroups in the Weil representation. Sufficient understanding can be gained by using the basic represention theory of $\operatorname{SL}_2(k)$, $k$ a finite field.