Torsion matrices over commutative integral group rings (Q1595463): Difference between revisions

Let \(\mathbb{Z} A\) be the integral group ring of the finite Abelian group \(A\) and let \(\varepsilon\colon\mathbb{Z} A\to\mathbb{Z}\) be the augmentation map. For an integer \(n\) we define \(\varepsilon^*\colon\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{Z} A)\to\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{Z})\) by applying \(\varepsilon\) to each matrix entry. Then the kernel of \(\varepsilon^*\) is the subgroup \(\text{SGL}_n(\mathbb{Z} A)\), that is the group of invertible \(n\times n\) matrices over \(\mathbb{Z} A\) with identity augmentation. It is an open problem: When is it true that every torsion matrix \(U\in\text{SGL}_n(\mathbb{Z} A)\) is conjugate in \(\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{Q} A)\) to a diagonal matrix with group elements on the diagonal. The answer is affirmative, if \(n\leq 5\) for arbitrary \(A\), but Cliff and Weiss constructed a counterexample for the case \(n=6\). The authors obtain a positive answer for certain \(n\geq 6\), if \(A\) has at most one non-cyclic Sylow subgroup, or \(A\) satisfies the following condition: if \(q_1\) and \(q_2\) are the two smallest distinct primes such that the \(q_1\)-Sylow and \(q_2\)-Sylow subgroups of \(A\) are non-cylic, then \(q_1+q_2>(n^2+n-8)/4\).