Random-matrix beyond square-root cancellation conjecture for symmetric-power characters

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Let U(N)U(N) be the unitary group, let νN\nu_N be its Haar probability measure, and let Sym⁡kCN\operatorname{Sym}^k\mathbb C^N be the kkth symmetric power of the standard representation. Write tr⁡(A,Sym⁡kCN)\operatorname{tr}(A,\operatorname{Sym}^k\mathbb C^N) for its character at A∈U(N)A\in U(N). Random-matrix conjecture. Fix B>0B>0. If 0≤k≤BN0\leq k\leq BN and k→+∞k\to+\infty, then

∫U(N)∣tr⁡(A,Sym⁡kCN)∣ dνN(A)=o(1).\int_{U(N)}\left|\operatorname{tr}(A,\operatorname{Sym}^k\mathbb C^N)\right|\,d\nu_N(A)=o(1).

This is proposed as the random-matrix analogue of Harper's conjecture, with character twists of partial sums corresponding roughly to symmetric-power characters. Its resolution is left open in the source.

References

Primary source

Victor Y. Wang and Max Wenqiang Xu, “Harper's beyond square-root conjecture”, arXiv:2405.04094 (2025).

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