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37 votes
0 answers
1k views

Is this generalized character always a character?

Let $G$ be a finite group, and $p$ be a prime. Then there is a generalized character $\Psi$ of $G$ which takes value $0$ on all elements of order divisible by $p$, and has $\Psi(y)$ equal to the ...
8 votes
0 answers
190 views

Groups having exactly two non real-valued irreducible characters

This is an enlarged version of my question on MSE. It was suggested I ask here instead. Suppose the finite group $G$ has exactly two conjugacy classes that are not self-inverse (a conjugacy class is ...
17 votes
2 answers
860 views

The sum (with multiplicity) of the cubes of irreducible character degrees of a finite group

Throughout $G$ is a finite, non-abelian group. $\DeclareMathOperator\Irr{Irr}\DeclareMathOperator\AD{AD}\DeclareMathOperator\cp{cp}\newcommand\card[1]{\lvert#1\rvert}$ Let $\Irr(G)$ be the set of ...
17 votes
1 answer
1k views

Explicit character tables of non-existent finite simple groups

In connection with the historical development of the classification of finite simple groups, I am interested in a particular aspect that seems to be less well-documented than the main narrative of ...
20 votes
2 answers
948 views

The finite groups with a zero entry in each column of its character table (except the first one)

$\DeclareMathOperator\PSL{PSL}\DeclareMathOperator\Aut{Aut}$Consider the class of finite groups $G$ having a zero entry in each column of its character table (except the first one), i.e. for all $g \...
5 votes
1 answer
342 views

Product of all conjugacy classes

Related to this post of my coauthor Sebastien, I should also mention that one can also prove the following dual result: For any finite group G, the following identity holds: $$ \left(\prod_{j=0}^m \...
5 votes
0 answers
351 views

Adjoint identity on finite nilpotent groups

Let $G$ be a finite nilpotent group. Consider the following (adjoint) identity from [BuPa, Theorem 9.6]: $$\left(\prod_{\chi \in \mathrm{Irr}(G)} \frac{\chi}{\chi(1)} \right)^2 =\frac{|Z(G)|}{|G|}\...
2 votes
0 answers
220 views

Characters of alternating groups

I am studying certain properties of characters of alternating groups and I have found precisely three characters not satisfying it up to $A_{15}$. These are: A character of dimension $3.696$ of $A_{...
1 vote
0 answers
179 views

Character extension about $Q_8$

Recently, I am studying the book Navarro - Character Theory and the McKay Conjecture. I am trying to solve the following exercise: (Exercise 5.9) Let $G$ be a finite group and $N\unlhd G$, suppose ...
6 votes
0 answers
320 views

(CFSG-free) Finite simple groups whose character degrees square divide its order

Let $G$ be a finite group. It is well-known that for all irreducible complex character $\chi$ then $\deg(\chi)$ divides $\lvert G\rvert$. Motivated by some problems with modular tensor categories, we ...
11 votes
1 answer
550 views

Probability of words summing to $1$ in $S_n$ or $\mathrm{PGL}_2(n)$

$\DeclareMathOperator\PGL{PGL}\DeclareMathOperator\Conj{Conj}$Let $G$ be the symmetric group $S_n$ or the projective general linear group $\PGL_2(n)$. Let $X$ be a cyclically reduced word in the ...
12 votes
2 answers
926 views

Finite groups with integral character table

The character table of a finite group will be called integral if all its entries are integers. There are $11$ such groups up to order $16$, namely $C_1$, $C_2$, $C_2^2$, $S_3$, $D_8$, $Q_8$, $C_2^3$, $...
7 votes
0 answers
139 views

When is $\operatorname{Out}(G)$ isomorphic to the symmetries of the character table of $G$?

$\DeclareMathOperator\Out{Out}\DeclareMathOperator\CTS{CTS}$The outer automorphism group $\Out(G)$ of a finite group $G$ act on the character table by permuting columns (conjugacy classes) and rows (...
3 votes
0 answers
102 views

Terminology for the "natural probability measure" on the set of irreducible characters of a finite group

To be specific: if $G$ is a finite group and $\operatorname{Irr}(G)$ the set of its irreducible characters (over the complex field) then we know that $$ 1 = \sum_{\phi \in {\rm Irr}(G)} \frac{(d_\phi)^...
21 votes
0 answers
473 views

Is there a "direct" proof of the Galois symmetry on centre of group algebra?

Let $G$ be a finite group, and $n$ an integer coprime to $|G|$. Then we have the following map, which is clearly not a morphism of groups in general: $$g\mapsto g^n.$$ This induces a linear ...
3 votes
2 answers
222 views

Equality of subsets of abelian groups

Let $G$ be a finite abelian group, $X$ and $Y$ be two non-empty subsets of $G$ of equal size. Suppose that for each irreducible character $\chi$ of $G$ we have $\sum_{x\in X}\chi(x)=\sum_{y\in Y}\chi(...
4 votes
0 answers
227 views

Orbits of group representation over $\mathbb{F}_2$

Recently I have been considering a problem that has had me venture into some mathematical territory that is new to me, specifically group representations, words, and character theory. I would ...
3 votes
1 answer
353 views

Computing characters of $\alpha$-projective representations

Given a finite group $G$, a finite cyclic group $A$ (viewed as a subgroup of $\mathbb{C}^{\times}$, i.e. generated by a $|A|$-th root of unity), and a 2-cocycle $\alpha\in Z^{2}(G,A)$. Recall that an $...
7 votes
2 answers
764 views

Proofs of a character identity?

Let $G$ be a finite group, $g \geq 0, k\geq 1 $ integers, and $(C_1,...,C_k)$ a tuple of conjugacy classes of $G$. I am interested in proofs of the following identity $$ \sum_{(c_1,...,c_k) \in C_1 \...
7 votes
3 answers
991 views

The zero entries in the character table of a finite group

When you browse the character tables of the small finite groups (for example here), you can observe that every zero entry corresponds to the value of an irreducible character $\chi$ on a non-central ...
9 votes
2 answers
525 views

Characterization of the family of simple groups PSL(2,q) by tensor multiplicity

Let $G$ be a finite group and $(\chi_i)$ its irreducible characters. Then $\forall i,j,k, \exists!n_{i,j}^k \in \mathbb{N}_{\ge 0}$ such that $$\chi_i \chi_j = \sum_k n_{i,j}^k \chi_k.$$ Let the ...
4 votes
1 answer
518 views

Finite groups with the same character table *including* class types, and square-free order

There are non-isomorphic finite groups with the same (complex) character table, as $D_4$ and $Q_8$. $$\scriptsize\begin{array}{c|c} \text{class}&1&2A&2B&2C&4 \newline \text{...
1 vote
2 answers
411 views

Are the character degrees determined by the conjugacy class sizes?

The computation below (part 1) shows that if two finite groups of order at most $100$ have the same (ordered) list of conjugacy class sizes, then they also have the same (ordered) list of (irreducible)...
4 votes
0 answers
153 views

Characters, centralizers and cosets

I am trying to understand/count the number of solutions of a number of equations in finite groups and came across the following class function: $$ \theta_\chi(x) = \sum_{y\in G} |C_G(xy)y \cap C_G(x)| ...
3 votes
0 answers
400 views

Character table of the symmetric group $S_n$ according to James

In James, "The representation theory of the symmetric groups" an algorithm is described to produce the character table of a symmetric group. The proof involves the equation (pp. 22,23) $$\...
6 votes
1 answer
298 views

Is a finite group given by its character table if its Sylow subgroups are so?

As pointed out by Mikko Korhonen in this answer, Özdem Çelik proved (in 1976 here) that a finite group whose Sylow subgroups are cyclic (called a Z-group) is determined by its character table. ...
3 votes
1 answer
1k views

Conditions for a solvable group to have a non-trivial center

I am working on a problem in character theory where I try to bound the derived length of a solvable group using information about its characters. In my specific case, it will be extremely helpful for ...
1 vote
0 answers
103 views

Character degrees of a finite group?

Let $G$ be a finite group, $R(G)$ be the solvable radical of $G$, and $G/R(G)$ be an almost simple group with socle $S\cong PSL_2(3^p)$, where $p$ is an odd prime. Also let $[G/R(G):S]=p$ and $\theta$ ...
20 votes
3 answers
940 views

What did Frobenius prove about $M_{12}$?

I am interested in this paper which I can't read because it's in German: Frobenius, G., Über die Charaktere der mehrfach transitiven Gruppen., Berl. Ber. 1904, 558-571 (1904). ZBL35.0154.02. A free ...
7 votes
1 answer
647 views

On the structure of a finite group of order $144$

Let $G$ be a finite group of order $144$. Suppose there is an irreducible $\mathbb{C}$-character $\theta$ such that $\theta(1)=9$. QUESTION: Prove $G\cong A_4\times A_4$. By using Magma, we know ...
3 votes
2 answers
315 views

Character kernels in the lattice of subgroups of a finite abelian group

I am looking for any efforts that have been made to characterize the character kernels (equivalently, the subgroups yielding cyclic quotients) inside the lattice of subgroups of a finite abelian group....
7 votes
2 answers
824 views

On finite groups with same complex-valued character table

What are the necessary and sufficient conditions for two finite groups $G$ and $H$ to have same complex-valued character table? Is there any criterion for which one could know about the character ...
8 votes
3 answers
1k views

Beyond Brauer's theorem

Brauer's classic theorem states that any character of a finite group can be expressed as a linear combination with integer coefficients of characters induced by linear characters of p-elementary ...
1 vote
0 answers
82 views

associativity of the extension of finie groups [closed]

Following my previous question I have two questions: 1.the extensions of the group is associative or not, i.e. as we know by the notations of atlas if $S={\rm PSL}(2,q)$, where $q=p^f>9$, then $2....
1 vote
1 answer
181 views

Groups with many vanishing elements

It is well-known that every non-linear character $\chi$ of a finite group $G$ vanishes on some elements of $G\setminus Z(\chi)$. The question is What can be said about a finite group $G$ for which $\...
2 votes
1 answer
220 views

The lower bound of a group with characters of special degrees

Is there any lower bound for the order of a group with an irreducible character of degree $p$, where $p$ is a prime. Is there any similar result for $p^2$ or $p^3$ instead of $p$? Thanks for your ...
21 votes
3 answers
1k views

Groups of order $n$ with a character whose degree is at least $0.8\sqrt{n}$ (say)

[edited in response to some corrections by Geoff Robinson and F. Ladisch] Throughout, all my groups are finite, and all my representations are over the complex numbers. If $G$ is a group and $\chi$ ...
1 vote
1 answer
270 views

On the character degrees of a finite group with special structure

Let $G$ be a finite group such that $G$ has a normal subgroup $N$ of order $p(p^2+1)/2$, where $p>13$ is an odd prime and $p\ne 239$. Also $G/N\cong \text{PSL}(2,p)$. Can we say that there exists a ...
2 votes
0 answers
219 views

The tallest possible lattice?

Let O be a complete discrete valuation ring and G a finite group. Recall that a finitely generated O-free OG-module $M$ such that the traces of the invertible endomorphisms of $M$ generate a strictly ...
9 votes
2 answers
1k views

Character table entries and sums of roots of unity

It is well-known that the entries of the character table of a finite group are sums of roots of unity. Question: Is the converse true? Explicitly, given $z\in \mathbb{Z}[\mu_\infty]$, can I find a ...
52 votes
0 answers
1k views

Class function counting solutions of equation in finite group: when is it a virtual character?

Let $w=w(x_1,\dots,x_n)$ be a word in a free group of rank $n$. Let $G$ be a finite group. Then we may define a class function $f=f_w$ of $G$ by $$ f_w(g) = |\{ (x_1,\dots, x_n)\in G^n\mid w(x_1,\dots,...
4 votes
0 answers
348 views

Interplay between two definitions of the transfer homomorphism.

The transfer homomorphism can be defined in a couple of ways. For the purposes of this question, assume that all groups are finite. Defintion 1. Let $1\leqslant K'\leqslant L \leqslant K\leqslant G$ ...
8 votes
2 answers
799 views

characters on a finite group with `extremal' behaviour

The following question is a bit technical, and I haven't got to grips with it enough to be able to present it as a well-focused question. However, my hope is that the collective group-theoretic ...