Sum formulas for reductive algebraic groups. (Q2461792)

This paper is interested in the representation theory of a reductive algebraic group \(G\) over a field \(k\) of characteristic \(p>0\). Of interest is a well-known sum formula for the characters of modules in the Jantzen filtration of a Weyl module, as well as a similar formula involving a filtration on a space of homomorphisms from a Weyl module to a tilting module. The latter formula (found by the first author), was only known to hold if \(p\) is at least the Coxeter number of \(G\). In this work, the authors provide a new unified proof of both sum formulas for all primes. The strategy is to consider the associated integral group scheme \(G_\mathbb{Z}\) and corresponding integral Weyl modules. For a maximal torus \(T\) and Borel subgroup \(B\) of \(G\), the authors introduce the notion of a divisor of a \(T_\mathbb{Z}\)-module which is analogous to the usual notion of the character of a module. Over \(k\), the usual Euler character of a \(B\)-module is the alternating sum of characters of induced modules. The authors introduce an analogue of this for \(B_\mathbb{Z}\)-modules involving divisors of extensions with \(G_\mathbb{Z}\)-Weyl modules. The main theorem is a sum formula for this integral Euler character. Both the original Jantzen sum formula for Weyl modules and the formula for tilting modules follow from this result. In addition, the authors observe that the same process can be used to obtain analogous results for the corresponding quantum group at an \(\ell\)-th root of unity. This improves previous results which needed \(\ell\) to be at least the Coxeter number. The authors conclude the paper with some illuminating examples of the root subsets that appear in the discussion.