A lower bound of the Perron-Frobenius eigenvalue of the Cartan matrix of a finite group (Q1969085)

Let \(B\) be a \(p\)-block of a finite group with Cartan matrix \(C_B=(c_{ij})\) and defect group \(\delta(B)\). Let \(k(B)\), resp. \(l(B)\), denote the number of complex irreducible characters, resp. irreducible Brauer characters, in \(B\). Furthermore let \(\rho(C_B)\) denote the Perron-Frobenius eigenvalue of \(C_B\), i.e., the spectral radius of \(C_B\). \textit{M. Kiyota} and the author [Commun. Algebra 21, No. 11, 3839-3860 (1993; Zbl 0815.20011)] proved that \(c_{ij}\leq\rho(C_B)\) for all \(i,j\). Since \(k(B)\leq\sum^{l(B)}_{i=1}c_{ii}\) (which is an easy consequence of \(C_B=D^tD\), where \(D\) is the decomposition matrix of \(B\)), we have \(k(B)\leq\rho(C_B)l(B)\). In the paper under review the author mainly proves that \[ k(B)\leq\sum^{l(B)}_{i=1}c_{ii}-\sum^{l(B)-1}_{i=1}c_{i\delta(i)}, \] where \(\delta\) is an \(l(B)\)-cycle. Moreover, he characterizes the situation where the bound is achieved. Finally, it is conjectured that for \(p\)-solvable groups even \(k(B)\leq\rho(C_B)\) holds true. Note that this sharpens Brauer's conjecture \(k(B)\leq|\delta(B)|\) for \(p\)-solvable groups since in that case (not in general) \(\rho(C_B)\leq|\delta(B)|\). In some special situations the conjecture is checked by the author.