Recovering information about a group from its complex group algebra (Q1083523)

Let G and H be finite groups. How alike are G and H if the complex group algebras \({\mathbb{C}}G\) and \({\mathbb{C}}H\) are isomorphic? In this paper the author proves the following theorems: 1. If for some prime p, G has a normal p-complement, then H has a normal p-complement. 2. If M and N are respectively normal \(\pi\)-Hall subgroups of G and H, then \({\mathbb{C}}M\cong {\mathbb{C}}N\) and \({\mathbb{C}}(G/M')\cong {\mathbb{C}}(H/N')\). The two results give Corollary 3. If G is nilpotent, then so is H. If G has a Sylow tower, then so does H. For the proofs, the author considers an equivalent question by asking what information about a finite group G can be obtained from a knowledge of its degree multiplicity function \(m_ G\) defined by \[ m_ G(x)=| \{\chi \in Irr(G)| \quad \chi (1)=x\}|. \] A theorem of J. Thompson states that if \(m_ G(x)=0\) whenever \(x>1\) and \(p\nmid x\), then G has a normal p-complement. The author has given a proof of this theorem in his book [Character theory of finite groups (1976; Zbl 0337.20005), Corollary 12.2]. The author uses a modificaton of that proof to establish the following lemma which implies Theorem 1. and Thompson's theorem. Lemma: Fix a prime p. For finite groups G, write \({\mathcal U}(G)=\{\chi \in Irr(G)|\) \(p\nmid \chi (1)\}\), \(u(G)=\sum_{\chi \in {\mathcal U}(G)}\chi (1)^ 2\) and \(a(G)=| G:G'|_ p\). Then a(G) divides u(G) and G has a normal p-complement if and only if u(G)/a(G) is not divisible by p.