On a theorem of Shintani (Q5906421)

Let \(\overline\mathbb{F}_q\) be an algebraic closure of a finite field \(\mathbb{F}_q\) of order \(q\), and \(n\) and \(d\) two natural numbers. The symmetric group \(\mathfrak{S}_d\) acts on the group \(\mathbb{G}^0:=\text{GL}_n(\overline\mathbb{F}_q)^d\) by permutations on its components. The semi-direct product \(\mathbb{G}:=\mathbb{G}^0\rtimes{\mathfrak S}_d\) is a nonconnected reductive group with connected component \(\mathbb{G}^0\). Let \(F_0\colon\mathbb{G}\to\mathbb{G}\) be the natural split Frobenius endomorphism on \(\mathbb{G}\) (acting trivially on \({\mathfrak S}_d\)). We choose an element \(\sigma\in{\mathfrak S}_d\), and denote by \(F\colon\mathbb{G}\to\mathbb{G}\) the Frobenius endomorphism defined by \(F(g):={^\sigma F}_0(g)\). In the paper under review, the author first studies the irreducible characters of the finite group \(\mathbb{G}^F\) of the \(F\)-invariant elements in \(\mathbb{G}\). The unipotent characters of \(\mathbb{G}^F\) have been previously described by the author [in J. Algebra 211, No. 1, 57-98 (1999; see the preceding review Zbl 0956.20040)]. He proves here that there exists a Jordan decomposition of characters, and that this decomposition commutes with Lusztig's generalized induction. He also proves that the irreducible characters of \(\mathbb{G}^F\) are uniforms (that is, linear combinations of generalized Deligne-Lusztig characters). He gives an application of these results to Shintani descent in the case of the general linear group. We endow the group \(\text{GL}_n(\overline\mathbb{F}_q)\) with the split Frobenius endomorphism \(F_0\colon\text{GL}_n(\overline\mathbb{F}_q)\to\text{GL}_n(\overline\mathbb{F}_q)\), \(g\mapsto g^{(q)}\), where \(g^{(q)}\) is the matrix obtained from \(g\) by raising all coefficients to the \(q\)th power. Then let \(\phi_0\) be the automorphism of \(\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_{q^d})\) induced by \(F_0\). Let \(\sigma:=(1,2,\ldots,d)\). The map \(\theta\colon\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_{q^d})\to\mathbb{G}^{0F}\), \(g\mapsto(g,F_0(g),\ldots,F_0^{d-1}(g))\) is an isomorphism of groups, and it can be extended to an isomorphism \(\widetilde\theta\colon\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_{q^d})\rtimes\langle\phi_0\rangle\to\mathbb{G}^F\), \(g\phi_0^k\mapsto\theta(g)\sigma^{-k}\). Let \(g\in\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_q)\). By Lang's theorem, there exists \(x\in\text{GL}_n(\overline\mathbb{F}_q)\) such that \(g=x^{-1}F_0^d(x)\). Then \(g':=F_0(x)x^{-1}\) belongs to \(\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_{q^d})\), and the map that sends the conjugacy class of \(g\) in \(\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_q)\) to the \(\phi_0\)-conjugacy class of \(g'\) in \(\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_{q^d})\) is well-defined and bijective. We denote it by \(\text{N}_{F_0/F_0^d}\colon\text{Cl}(\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_q))\to H^1(\phi_0,\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_{q^d}))\), where \(\text{Cl}(\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_q))\) denotes the set of conjugacy classes of \(\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_q)\) and \(H^1(\phi_0,\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_{q^d}))\) denotes the set of \(\phi_0\)-classes of \(\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_{q^d})\). Let \(\mathcal C(\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_{q^d})\cdot\phi_0)\) (resp. \(\mathcal C(\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_q))\)) denote the space of class functions on \(\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_{q^d})\cdot\phi_0\) (resp. \(\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_q)\)). Then \(\text{N}_{F_0/F_0^d}\) induces an isomorphism \[ \text{Sh}_{F_0^d/F_0}\colon\mathcal C(\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_{q^d})\cdot\phi_0)\to\mathcal C(\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_q)), \] called the Shintani descent from \(F_0^d\) to \(F_0\). In [J. Math. Soc. Japan 28, 396-414 (1976; Zbl 0323.20041)], \textit{T. Shintani} proved that each irreducible character \(\gamma\) of the finite group \(\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_{q^d})\) which is stable under \(\phi_0\) can be extended to a character \(\widetilde\gamma\) of \(\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_{q^d})\rtimes\langle\phi\rangle\) in such a way that \(\text{Sh}_{F_0^d/F_0}(\widetilde\gamma)\) is, up to sign, an irreducible character of the group \(\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_q)\). The author shows that this sign can always be chosen to be equal to \(1\) and gets precise formulas for the corresponding extension. As a consequence, he obtains that the Shintani descent of this particular extension to \(\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_{q^e})\) is an irreducible character of \(\text{GL}_n(\mathbb{F}_{q^e})\) (where \(e\) divides \(d\)). The paper is well-written and very pleasant to read.