Intertwining Operators for Siegel Parabolics over Finite Fields

Abstract

We consider degenerate principal series representations $\operatorname{Ind}_P^G\chi$ over finite fields, where $G$ is a classical subgroup of $\operatorname{GL}_{2n}$, and $P$ is the Siegel parabolic subgroup. For example, we show that this representation is always multiplicity-free and irreducible for generic characters $\chi$. We then discuss a particular intertwining operator $I$ on $\operatorname{Ind}_P^G\chi$ and its related combinatorics. Firstly, this operator $I$ produces families of diagonalizable antitriangular matrices with well-behaved eigenvalues. Secondly, applying $I$ to a special vector in $\operatorname{Ind}_P^G\chi$ leads us to various matrix Gauss sums, whose evaluations imply an explicit equidistribution result of the trace and determinant of symmetric and alternating invertible matrices.