The trivial intersection problem for characters of principal indecomposable modules. (Q734902): Difference between revisions

A recent result of \textit{C. Bessenrodt} and \textit{J. Zhang} [Adv. Math. 218, No. 2, 485-495 (2008; Zbl 1185.20009)] states that a finite group \(G\) is nilpotent if and only if, for all primes \(p\neq q\), the principal \(p\)-block and the principal \(q\)-block of complex irreducible characters intersect only in the trivial character. The present paper considers what happens when this `trivial intersection' property is weakened to a trivial intersection of the sets of complex irreducible characters contained in the trivial PIMs for the two primes. It is shown that \(\text{PSL}(2,r)\) has this property whenever \(r\) is a Mersenne prime, but that no other finite simple group has this property. The proof proceeds by a case-by-case analysis, using the Classification of Finite Simple Groups. In the case of the sporadic groups some heavy computations are involved behind the scenes.