On generalized blocks for alternating groups. (Q2491819)

For a finite group \(G\) and a union of conjugacy classes, \(\mathcal C\), of \(G\), \textit{B.~Külshammer, J.~B.~Olsson} and \textit{G.~R.~Robinson} [Invent. Math. 151, No. 3, 513-552 (2003; Zbl 1043.20007)] introduced the notion of a \(\mathcal C\)-block of \(G\) generalizing the classical notion of a \(p\)-block for a prime \(p\). They also proved an analog of the Nakayama conjecture, for \(G\) the symmetric group \(S_n\) and for \(\mathcal C\) the set of all permutations in \(S_n\) whose cycle lengths are not divisible by a fixed integer \(d\geq 2\). In the paper under review, the author considers the alternating group \(A_n\) and the set \(\mathcal C\) of all permutations in \(A_n\) whose cycle lengths are not divisible by a fixed odd integer \(d\geq 3\). His main result is a combinatorial description of the \(\mathcal C\)-blocks of \(A_n\) which generalizes an earlier result by \textit{A. Kerber} on classical \(p\)-blocks [Arch. Math. 19, 588-594 (1969; Zbl 0175.02003)].