Special cycles and derivatives of Eisenstein series

Abstract

This article sketches relations among algebraic cycles for the Shimura varieties defined by arithmetic quotients of symmetric domains for O(n,2), theta functions, values and derivatives of Eisenstein series and values and derivatives of certain L-functions. In the geometric case, results of joint work with John Millson imply that the generating functions for the classes in cohomology of certain algebraic cycles of codimension r are Siegel modular forms of genus r and weight n/2+1. A result of Borcherds shows that, for r=1, the same is true for the generating function for the classes of such divisors in the Chow group. By the Siegel-Weil formula, the generating function for the volumes of codimension r cycles coincides with a value of a Siegel-Eisenstein series of genus r. In particular, this gives an interpretation of the Fourier coefficients of these Eisenstein series as volumes of algebraic cycles. The second part of the paper discusses the possible analogues of these results in the arithmetic case, where the special values of derivatives of Eisenstein series arise. In this case, the Fourier coefficients of such derivatives are should be the heights (arithmetic volumes) of certain cycles on integral models of the O(n,2) type Shimura varieties. Relations of this sort would yield relations between central derivatives of certain L-functions and height pairings. The case of curves on a Siegel 3-fold and of the central derivative of a triple product L-function are discussed.