Linear independence of periods for the symmetric square $L$-functions

Abstract

For $S_k$, the space of cusp forms of weight $k$ for the full modular group, we first introduce periods on $S_k$ associated to symmetric square $L$-functions. We then prove that for a fixed natural number $n$, if $k$ is sufficiently large relative to $n$, then any $n$ such periods are linearly independent. With some extra assumption, we also prove that for $k\ge e^{12}$, we can always pick up to $\frac{\log k}{4}$ arbitrary linearly independent periods.

to appear in Ann. Math. Qué