Weighted central limit theorems for central values of $L$-functions

Abstract

We establish a central limit theorem for the central values of Dirichlet $L$-functions with respect to a weighted measure on the set of primitive characters modulo $q$ as $q\to \infty$. Under the Generalized Riemann Hypothesis (GRH), we also prove a weighted central limit theorem for the joint distribution of the central $L$-values corresponding to twists of two distinct primitive Hecke eigenforms. As applications, we obtain (under GRH) positive proportions of twists for which the central $L$-values simultaneously grow or shrink with $q$ as well as a positive proportion of twists for which linear combinations of the central $L$-values are non-zero.