Parametrization of Kloosterman sets and $\mathrm{SL}_3$-Kloosterman sums

Abstract

We stratify the $\mathrm{SL}_3$ big cell Kloosterman sets using the reduced word decomposition of the Weyl group element, inspired by the Bott-Samelson factorization. Thus the $\mathrm{SL}_3$ long word Kloosterman sum is decomposed into finer parts, and we write it as a finite sum of a product of two classical Kloosterman sums. The fine Kloosterman sums end up being the correct pieces to consider in the Bruggeman-Kuznetsov trace formula on the congruence subgroup $\Gamma_0(N)\subseteq \mathrm{SL}_3(\mathbb{Z})$. Another application is a new explicit formula, expressing the triple divisor sum function in terms of a double Dirichlet series of exponential sums, generalizing Ramanujan's formula.