Write and . The double-coset Hecke algebra consists of -bi-invariant complex functions on supported on finitely many double cosets, with convolution
Each double coset has finitely many orbits under left multiplication by , by rational conjugation of finite-index modular subgroups. Thus the sum is finite and independent of representatives. The characteristic functions of the double cosets form its basis, and its right action on invariant modular forms is , using the determinant-normalized slash operator.
For a positive integer , let be all integral two-by-two matrices of positive determinant . It is -bi-invariant. Define to be its indicator function, equivalently the sum of the distinct double cosets it contains, each with coefficient one. This is the convention consistent with the requested formula. For composite , it need not be the single double coset of : for instance cannot lie in that double coset, since multiplying by unimodular integral matrices preserves the greatest common divisor of the entries.
Prove all the needed subgroup facts directly. For a finite-index subgroup , take to be the least positive first coordinate appearing in and the least positive second coordinate on its intersection with the second axis. Euclidean division then shows that the first-coordinate projection is and . Positivity follows, for example, because the finite quotient group kills a nonzero multiple of each coordinate vector. Choose and reduce modulo to . Every vector of has first coordinate a multiple of , and subtracting that multiple of leaves a multiple of . Therefore these two vectors form a basis of . The parameters are unique. Reducing the first coordinate modulo and then the second modulo gives precisely quotient representatives, so .
Apply this row Hermite normal form in rank two to the row lattice of an integral matrix with . Its row lattice contains , since , so it has finite index. Its two rows and the displayed two rows are bases of the same row lattice. The two inverse change-of-basis matrices have integer entries, so their determinants are integers whose product is one. Thus the change-of-basis matrix has determinant ; since both orientations are positive, its determinant is one. Thus each orbit under left multiplication by has exactly one of the determinant-n matrix representatives for Hecke operators
There are such representatives, proving finiteness as well as the formula. The subgroup argument is a proof of the relevant Hermite normal form, not an invocation of an unproved lattice classification.
Consequently the normalized Hecke operator is
It preserves : right multiplication by permutes the left-multiplication orbits in , giving invariance, and cusp holomorphy under rational slash operators gives the holomorphy of each term at every cusp.
For a triangular representative the determinant-normalized slash operator is . Summing the Fourier expansion of a modular form over kills every index not divisible by , by finite exponential orthogonality. Thus
The Fourier coefficients of a composite-index Hecke operator are therefore
In particular . If , comparison of the coefficients gives
Finally suppose and is a simultaneous eigenfunction. Constant coefficients force , so for all . Weight two cannot occur, by vanishing of weight-two level-one modular forms. For even , use the normalized Eisenstein series with its Fourier expansion of a normalized Eisenstein series
where is the Bernoulli number. Then is a cusp form with coefficients . The Fourier coefficient bound for a cusp form bounds these by , but at arbitrarily large primes their magnitude is . Since , the coefficient factor must vanish. All coefficients of then vanish, including its constant coefficient, so by its cusp expansion and the identity theorem. This proves the noncuspidal level-one Hecke eigenform characterization:
We use left multiplication by . For an integral matrix of determinant , the Bezout identity gives a determinant-one row operation sending its first column to , where is the positive gcd of that column. The resulting matrix is with . Adding a multiple of the second row to the first makes .
These representatives are unique. Left multiplication by a unimodular matrix preserves the gcd of the first column, so two representatives in one orbit have the same and hence . A matrix taking to itself has the form , so it changes by ; the prescribed range makes unique. Thus the determinant-n matrix representatives for Hecke operators are exactly . In the printed set, already forces , and forces .
For positive determinant extend the slash operator for modular forms by
The determinant factor makes this a right action: . Right multiplication by permutes the left cosets represented by , since it preserves the set of determinant- integral matrices. Hence satisfies the modular transformation law. Its summands are holomorphic on the upper half-plane. For an upper-triangular representative,
Substitute the Fourier expansion of a modular form. The sum over is zero unless the original index is divisible by , in which case it equals . Writing that index as gives
Only nonnegative powers occur, so is holomorphic at infinity, and all level-one cusps are equivalent to infinity. We have proved and the Fourier coefficients of a composite-index Hecke operator formula
Here , giving . In particular cusp forms stay cusp forms. For nonzero level-one cusp forms the weight is an even integer at least twelve, so the powers are integers; the zero cusp space causes no exception. Thus every preserves integral Fourier coefficients, and closure under addition, multiplication and integer scalars proves
This is the integral Hecke algebra of level-one cusp forms.
We will also need commutativity. The coefficient formula directly gives
For the first identity, the divisors of and in the iterated coefficient sum combine uniquely into a divisor of . For the second, write a coefficient index as with ; the formula is
Applying splits this into the two sums with shifts and ; their overlapping terms give exactly the stated recurrence. Since is the identity, induction expresses each as a polynomial in , and coprime multiplicativity expresses every as a product of these polynomials. Distinct prime operators commute by the coprime identity. Hence all Hecke operators commute, and so do all elements of .
Let and . In the permitted basis , the modular discriminant begins and the normalized Eisenstein series begin , so
The matrix of on this integral basis is unitriangular and has determinant one. Integer elimination therefore gives an integral basis with for . Thus are a -basis of the dual module .
The map is well-defined by lattice preservation and is -linear. Because , it is surjective. For injectivity suppose . For every and every , commutativity gives
The constant term is also zero because is a cusp form. The identity theorem applied to its Fourier expansion of a modular form gives . The integral basis spans the complex cusp space, so as an endomorphism. This proves the perfect integral Hecke pairing and
If , both modules are zero and the asserted basis is empty.
For a finite-index subgroup , its projection to the first coordinate is and its intersection with the second axis is , with . Choose , reducing modulo . Together with it is a basis of this row lattice: subtracting a multiple of from any vector leaves a vector on the second axis. These parameters are unique, and reduction of the two coordinates shows . Consequently an integral matrix of positive determinant has a unique representative of this form under left multiplication by , with . This proves the lattice facts underlying determinant-n matrix representatives for Hecke operators.