Analytic torsion and $L^2$-torsion of compact locally symmetric manifolds

Abstract

In this paper we study the analytic torsion and the $L^2$-torsion of compact locally symmetric manifolds. We consider the analytic torsion with respect to representations of the fundamental group which are obtained by restriction of irreducible representations of the group of isometries of the underlying symmetric space. The main purpose is to study the asymptotic behavior of the analytic torsion with respect to sequences of representations associated to rays of highest weights.