The minimal number of characters over a normal \(p\)-subgroup. (Q2370212)

Let \(G\) be a finite group, let \(N\) be a normal subgroup of \(G\) and let \(\theta\) be a \(G\)-invariant complex irreducible character of \(N\). Let \(\text{Irr}(G|\theta)\) denote the set of irreducible complex characters of \(G\) which occur as constituents of the induced character \(\theta^G\). A theorem of \textit{P. X. Gallagher} [Math. Z. 118, 175-179 (1970; Zbl 0221.20006)] shows that \(|\text{Irr}(G|\theta)|\) equals the number of so-called \(\theta\)-good conjugacy classes of \(G/N\). We will not attempt to define this concept here but we note that each conjugacy class of \(G/N\) consisting of elements of order relatively prime to \(|N|\) is \(\theta\)-good. Suppose now that \(N\) is a \(p\)-group for some prime \(p\) and that \(G\) is \(p\)-solvable. Suppose also that if \(p=2\), then \(|G|\) is not divisible by any Fermat or Mersenne prime. The authors' main result is the following. Under the hypotheses previously stated, if each \(\theta\)-good class of \(G/N\) is a \(p'\)-class, then \(G\) has a normal Sylow \(p\)-subgroup. Consequently, under the given hypotheses, if \(|\text{Irr}(G|\theta)|\) equals the number of \(p'\)-conjugacy classes of \(G/N\), \(G\) has a normal Sylow \(p\)-subgroup. Taking \(G\) to be the triple cover of the alternating group \(A_6\), \(p\) to be 3, \(N\) to be the central subgroup of order 3, and \(\theta\) a non-trivial linear character of \(N\), the authors note that \(|\text{Irr}(G|\theta)|\) equals the number of \(3'\)-conjugacy classes of \(G/N=A_6\), both numbers being equal to 5, but \(G\) clearly has no normal Sylow 3-subgroup. The authors also show that if \(G\) is an arbitrary finite group with a normal Sylow \(p\)-subgroup, and \(N\) is a \(p\)-subgroup, then every \(\theta\)-good class of \(G/N\) is a \(p'\)-class if and only if \(|\text{Irr}(G|\theta)|=1\).