Applications of versal deformations to Galois theory. (Q1409270)

This paper builds on the authors' results [in Math. Ann. 318, No. 4, 805-834 (2000; Zbl 0971.20004)]. Let \(G\), \(T\) be finite groups, \(\Gamma\) a profinite group, and \(\pi\colon\Gamma\to T\), \(\lambda\colon G\to T\) surjections. This defines the (proper) embedding problem: does there exist a homomorphism (epimorphism) \(h\colon\Gamma\to G\) with \(\lambda h=\pi\). The first observation reduces the question whether the proper solutions to an embedding problem arise from a versal deformation [compare, e.g., \textit{B. Mazur}, Publ., Math. Sci. Res. Inst. 16, 385-437 (1989; Zbl 0714.11076)] to studying when versal deformations of representations of finite groups are faithful. Let \(V\) be a representation of \(G\) over an algebraically closed field \(k\) with \(\text{char}(k)=p>0\) such that \(\text{End}_{kG}(V)=k\), and let \(K\leq G\) be its kernel. Assume that \(V\) belongs to a cyclic block \(B_{G,V}\) of \(kG\). Theorem: The universal deformation \(U(G,V)\) is a faithful representation of \(G\) if, and only if, \(K\) is a \(p\)-group, the Brauer tree \(\Lambda(B_{G,V})\) is a star with central exceptional vertex, and, in case \(\Lambda(B_{G,V})\) has more than one edge, \(V\) is not simple. In the proof it is observed that (i) each finite solvable extension of a given field can be constructed using a finite sequence of versal deformations; (ii) whether a versal deformation of a representation of a finite group is faithful can be detected from versal deformation rings associated to quotients of the group through which the representation factors.