The wave front set of the Fourier transform of algebraic measures

We study the Fourier transform of the absolute value of a polynomial on a finite-dimensional vector space over a local field of characteristic 0. We prove that this transform is smooth on an open dense set. We prove this result for the Archimedean and the non-Archimedean case in a uniform way. The Archimedean case was proved in [Ber]. The non-Archimedean case was proved in [HK] and [CL]. Our method is different from those described in [Ber,HK,CL]. It is based on Hironaka's desingularization theorem, unlike [Ber] which is based on the theory of D-modules and [HK,CL] which is based on model theory. Our method also gives bounds on the open dense set where the Fourier transform is smooth. These bounds are explicit in terms of resolution of singularities. We also prove the same result on the Fourier transform of other measures of algebraic origins.Comment: 40 page

Representation Growth and Rational Singularities of the Moduli Space of Local Systems

We relate the asymptotic representation theory of $SL(d,\mathbb{Z}_p)$ and the singularities of the moduli space of $SL(d)$-local systems on a smooth projective curve, proving new theorems about both. Regarding the former, we prove that, for every d, the number of n-dimensional representations of $SL(d,\mathbb{Z}_p)$ grows slower than $n^{22}$, confirming a conjecture of Larsen and Lubotzky. Regarding the latter, we prove that the moduli space of $SL(d)$-local systems on a smooth projective curve of genus at least 12 has rational singularities. Most of our results apply more generally to semi-simple algebraic groups. For the proof, we study the analytic properties of push forwards of smooth measures under algebraic maps. More precisely, we show that such push forwards have continuous density if the algebraic map is flat and all of its fibers have rational singularities.Comment: preliminary version, comments are welcome. v2. Revised version, now covering all semi simple group