Representations of finite special linear groups in non-defining characteristic. (Q960573): Difference between revisions

Let \(p\) be a prime number, let \(q=p^f\) for some \(f\geq 1\) and let \(\text{SL}_n(\mathbb{F}_q)\) be the special linear group of degree \(n\) over \(\mathbb{F}_q\). Let \(\overline F\) be an algebraically closed field of characteristic \(\ell\geq 0\) and assume \(\ell\neq p\). This article is concerned with parametrizing irreducible representations of \(\text{SL}_n(\mathbb{F}_q)\) over \(\overline F\). Let \(V\) be an irreducible \(\overline F\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_q)\)-module. By Clifford theory, the restriction \(V\big|_{\text{SL}_n(\mathbb{F}_q)}\) is completely reducible and multiplicity-free. Clifford theory is most effective if \(\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_q)/\text{SL}_n(\mathbb{F}_q)\) is of order prime to \(\ell\) and can still be used effectively if \(\ell\) does not divide \(\gcd(n,q-1)\). The main results of this article are a precise description of the number of irreducible summands in the restriction \(V\big|_{\text{SL}_n(\mathbb{F}_q)}\) and a corresponding parametrization of irreducible \(\overline F\text{SL}_n(\mathbb{F}_q)\)-modules when \(\ell\) divides \(\gcd(n,q-1)\). As an application of these results, the authors classify the complex representations of \(\text{SL}_n(\mathbb{F}_q)\) whose reductions modulo \(\ell\) are irreducible, relying on a similar result for \(\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_q)\) of \textit{R. Dipper, G. James}, [J. Algebra 104, 266-288 (1986; Zbl 0622.20032)]. As another application, the authors exhibit an explicit subset of \(\text{Irr}(\text{SL}_n(\mathbb{F}_q))\) of size \(|\text{IBr}(\text{SL}_n(\mathbb{F}_q))|\) and a partial order on \(\text{IBr}(\text{SL}_n(\mathbb{F}_q))\) such that the corresponding decomposition submatrix is lower unitriangular. Combining this with the results of \textit{C. Bonnafé}, [Sur les caractères des groupes réductifs finis à centre non connexe. Applications aux groupes spéciaux linéaires et unitaires, Astérisque 306. Paris: Société Mathématique de France (2006; Zbl 1157.20022)] the authors obtain a parametrization of irreducible \(\overline F\text{SL}_n(\mathbb{F}_q)\)-modules and obtain an ordinary basic set for each \(\ell\)-block of \(\text{SL}_n(\mathbb{F}_q)\).