The category of representations of the general linear groups over a finite field (Q1902102)

Write \({\mathcal G} {\mathcal L} (q)\) for the groupoid whose objects are finite vector spaces over the finite field \(\mathbb{F}_q\) and whose arrows are the linear isomorphisms. A (complex) representation is a functor from \({\mathcal G} {\mathcal L} (q)\) into the usual category of finite-dimensional complex vector spaces. The formula of \textit{J. A. Green} [``The characters of the finite general linear groups'', Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 80, 402-447 (1955; Zbl 0068.25605)] for multiplying characters motivated the authors' formula \[ (M \otimes N) (V) = \bigotimes_{A \leq V} M(A) \otimes N (V/A) \] for the (external) tensor product of representations. This determines a tensor category \({\mathcal R} {\mathcal G} {\mathcal L} (q)\) of representations (of finite support) where the arrows are natural transformations. The paper exhibits a braiding for \({\mathcal R} {\mathcal G} {\mathcal L} (q)\) in the sense of the authors [``Braided tensor categories'', Adv. Math. 102, No. 1, 20-78 (1993; Zbl 0817.18007)]. The definition of the braiding is quite straightforward and, except for the invertibility, the axioms for a braiding are routinely verified. In order to prove invertibility, the paper develops a version of a result of Harish-Chandra [see \textit{R. Howe}, ``Harish-Chandra homomorphisms for \({\mathfrak p}\)-adic groups'', Reg. Conf. Ser. Math. 59 (1985; Zbl 0593.22014)] which expresses it in terms of the Hom between multiple tensor products of cuspidal representations. The structure of the braided tensor category \({\mathcal R} {\mathcal G} {\mathcal L} (q)\) is completely described by an equivalence with a Hecke algebroid built out of irreducible monic polynomials over \(\mathbb{F}_q\).