On an extreme value law for the unipotent flow on $\mathrm{SL}_2(\mathbb{R})/\mathrm{SL}_2(\mathbb{Z})$

Abstract

We study an extreme value distribution for the unipotent flow on the modular surface $\mathrm{SL}_2(\mathbb{R})/\mathrm{SL}_2(\mathbb{Z})$. Using tools from homogenous dynamics and geometry of numbers we prove the existence of a continuous distribution function $F(r)$ for the normalized deepest cusp excursions of the unipotent flow. We find closed analytic formulas for $F(r)$ for $r \in [-\frac{1}{2} \log 2, \infty)$, and establish asymptotic behavior of $F(r)$ as $r \to -\infty$.