Eisenstein classes and generating series of modular symbols in $\mathrm{SL}_N$

Abstract: We define a theta lift between the homology in degree $N-1$ of a locally symmetric space associated to $\mathrm{SL}_N(\mathbb{R})$ and the space of modular forms of weight $N$. We show that the Fourier coefficients of this lift are Poincar\'e duals to modular symbols associated to maximal parabolic subgroups. The constant term is a canonical cohomology classes obtained by transgressing the Euler class of a torus bundle. This Eisenstein lift realizes a geometric theta correspondence for the pair $\mathrm{SL}_N \times \mathrm{SL}_2$, in the spirit of Kudla-Millson. When $N=2$, we show that the lift surjects on the space of weight $2$ modular forms spanned by an Eisenstein series and the eigenforms with non-vanishing $L$-function.