If $G$ is a finite group and $\lbrace x_{g} \rbrace_{g\in G}$ are commuting formal variables, then one can form a matrix whose $(g,h)$ entry is $x_{gh^{-1}}$. The determinant of this matrix is a polynomial with integer coefficients and is called the group determinant. Considering the factorization of this determinant led Frobenius to discover seminal results in the representation theory of finite groups. Later on, it was shown that a group can be recovered from its group determinant.
Many people have asked me the following question over the years, and I haven't a good answer for it. One might think about looking at something like a generalized determinant over a polynomial ring in infinitely many variables indexed by the group.
Question: In the literature, does there exist a more or less direct attempt to generalize the Dedekind-Frobenius group determinant to the setting of infinite groups?
Moreover, if such a thing exists, can it determine the group from which it is constructed?
