This paper generalizes the Gan–Gross–Prasad (GGP) conjectures that were earlier formulated for tempered or more generally generic L-packets to Arthur packets, especially for the non-generic L-packets arising from Arthur parameters. The paper introduces the key notion of a relevant pair of Arthur parameters that governs the branching laws for ${{\rm GL}}_n$ and all classical groups over both local fields and global fields. It plays a role for all the branching problems studied in Gan et al. [Symplectic local root numbers, central critical L-values and restriction problems in the representation theory of classical groups. Sur les conjectures de Gross et Prasad. I, Astérisque 346 (2012), 1–109] including Bessel models and Fourier–Jacobi models.

Let $X$ be a smooth proper curve over a finite field of characteristic $p$. We prove a product formula for $p$-adic epsilon factors of arithmetic $\mathscr{D}$-modules on $X$. In particular we deduce the analogous formula for overconvergent $F$-isocrystals, which was conjectured previously. The $p$-adic product formula is a counterpart in rigid cohomology of the Deligne–Laumon formula for epsilon factors in $\ell$-adic étale cohomology (for $\ell \neq p$). One of the main tools in the proof of this $p$-adic formula is a theorem of regular stationary phase for arithmetic $\mathscr{D}$-modules that we prove by microlocal techniques.

In this paper, we consider the $\mathrm{SL} (2)$ analogue of two well-known theorems about period integrals of automorphic forms on $\mathrm{GL} (2)$: one due to Harder–Langlands–Rapoport about non-vanishing of period integrals on ${\mathrm{GL} }_{2} ({ \mathbb{A} }_{F} )$ of cuspidal automorphic representations on ${\mathrm{GL} }_{2} ({ \mathbb{A} }_{E} )$ where $E$ is a quadratic extension of a number field $F$, and the other due to Waldspurger involving toric periods of automorphic forms on ${\mathrm{GL} }_{2} ({ \mathbb{A} }_{F} )$. In both these cases, now involving $\mathrm{SL} (2)$, we analyze period integrals on global$L$-packets; we prove that under certain conditions, a global automorphic $L$-packet which at each place of a number field has a distinguished representation, contains globally distinguished representations, and further, an automorphic representation which is locally distinguished is globally distinguished.

We develop and study the epsilon factor of a ‘local system’ of p-adic coefficients over the spectrum of a complete discrete valuation field K with finite residue field of characteristic p>0. In the equal characteristic case, we define the epsilon factor of an overconvergent F-isocrystal over Spec(K), using the p-adic monodromy theorem. We conjecture a global formula, the p-adic product formula, analogous to Deligne’s formula for étale ℓ-adic sheaves proved by Laumon, which explains the importance of this local invariant. Namely, for an overconvergent F-isocrystal over an open subset of a projective smooth curve X, the constant of the functional equation of the L-series is expressed as a product of the local epsilon factors at the points of X. We prove the conjecture for rank-one overconvergent F-isocrystals and for finite unit-root overconvergent F-isocrystals. In the mixed characteristic case, we study the behavior of the epsilon factor by deformation to the field of norms.

Let F a locally compact non-Archimedean field, of residue characteristic p, and ψ a nontrivial additive character of F. Let σ, σ′ be irreducible representations of the absolute Weil group of F, each of degree a power of p and not induced from a nontrivial unramified extension of F. We give a formula for the value at $s=½ of the ϵ-factor ϵ (σ ⊗ σ ',ψ,s)$, modulo roots of unity in ${\Bbb C}$ of order a power of p. Via the Langlands correspondence, we get an analogous formula for supercuspidal representations of ${\rm GL}_n(F)$.