For a unitary unramified genuine principal series representation of a covering group, we study the associated R-group. We prove a formula relating the R-group to the dimension of the Whittaker space for the irreducible constituents of such a principal series representation. Moreover, for certain saturated covers of a semisimple simply connected group, we also propose a simpler conjectural formula for such dimensions. This latter conjectural formula is verified in several cases, including covers of the symplectic groups.

For the special orthogonal group G = SO(2n + 1) over a p-adic field, we consider a discrete series representation of a standard Levi subgroup of G. We prove that the Arthur R-group and the classical R-group of $\pi$ are isomorphic. If $\pi$ is generic, we consider the Aubert involution $\hat{\pi}$. Under the assumption that $\hat{\pi}$ is unitary, we prove that the Arthur R-group of $\hat{\pi}$ is isomorphic to the R-group of $\hat{\pi}$ defined by Ban (Ann. Sci. École Norm. Sup. 35 (2002), 673–693; J. Algebra 271 (2004), 749–767). This is done by establishing the connection between the A-parameters of $\pi$ and $\hat{\pi}$. We prove that the A-parameter of $\hat{\pi}$ is obtained from the A-parameter of $\pi$ by interchanging the two $\textit{SL}(2,\mathbb{C})$ components.

For the reductive dual pair (U(n, n), U(n, n)) over a p-adic field, we study the local theta correspondence for certain tempered representations in terms of R-groups. In the case we consider, the Langlands parameter is preserved, but, a twist occurs in the L-packet. Moreover this twist is determined by root numbers.