An inequality in integral representation theory (Q1095247)

Let p be a prime number and G an abelian group of order \(p^ n\), \(n\geq 1\). Let M be a module for the integral group ring ZG which is Z-free and finitely generated and which affords a faithful representation of G. Let V denote the corresponding QG-module, \(V=Q\otimes M=QM\). The main result of this paper gives a relation involving the \(rank_ Z(M)\), the dimension over \({\mathbb{F}}=Z/pZ\), of the space \((M/pM)^ G\) of G-fixed points on M/pM, and the elementary divisors of G. Let \(d_ i(G)\) denote the number of cyclic direct factors of G having order \(p^ i\) in a fixed decomposition of G as a direct product of cyclic groups, \(\phi\) is the usual Euler function, \(\lambda\) (V) is the composition length of the QG-module V. Theorem 1. Let G be a finite abelian p-group and let M be a Z-free ZG- module on which G acts faithfully. Then \[ rank_ Z(M)-\dim _{{\mathbb{F}}}(M/pM)^ G\geq \sum ^{e}_{i=1}d_ i(G)(\phi (p^ i)-1), \] where \(p^ e\) is the exponent of G. - The proof is carried out by proving two auxiliary results: Proposition. With G as above, and V any finite dimensional QG-module on which G acts faithfully, \[ \dim _ Q(V)\geq \sum ^{e}_{i=1}d_ i(G)\phi (p^ i). \] Proposition. Let M be any Z-free finitely generated ZG-module. Then \(\dim _{{\mathbb{F}}}(M/pM)^ G\leq \lambda (QM).\) The bound in Theorem 1 is best possible in the sense that for any given G, there is an M for which equality holds. Interest in bounds of this type is motivated by work of Wm. Browder and A. Adem in which they study groups acting on products of spheres.