Relative Trace Formula and Twisted $L$-functions: the Burgess Bound

Abstract

Let $F$ be a number field, $\pi$ either a unitary cuspidal automorphic representation of $\mathrm{GL}(2)/F$ or a unitary Eisenstein series, and $\chi$ a unitary Hecke character of analytic conductor $C(\chi).$ We develop a regularized relative trace formula to prove a refined hybrid subconvex bound for $L(1/2,\pi\times\chi).$ In particular, we obtain the Burgess subconvex bound \begin{align*} L(1/2,\pi\times\chi)\ll_{\pi,F,\varepsilon}C(\chi)^{\frac{1}{2}-\frac{1}{8}+\varepsilon}, \end{align*} where the implied constant depends on $\pi,$ $F$ and $\varepsilon.$