Finite group algebras of nilpotent groups: a complete set of orthogonal primitive idempotents. (Q630809)

\textit{A. Olivieri, Á. del Río} and \textit{J. J. Simón} [in Commun. Algebra 32, No. 4, 1531-1550 (2004; Zbl 1081.20001)] and \textit{O. Broche} and \textit{Á. del Río} [in Finite Fields Appl. 13, No. 1, 71-79 (2007; Zbl 1111.20005)] give a character free method to describe the primitive central idempotents of a semisimple group algebra \(FG\), where \(F\) is either the rationals or \(G\) is an Abelian-by-supersolvable group, for example \(G\) is a nilpotent group. This is a first step in the description of semisimple group algebras. Also a description of the Wedderburn component associated to a primitive central idempotent is included, a second step in the description. A third step is to describe a complete set of matrix units (in particular, a complete set of orthogonal primitive idempotents) of each Wedderburn component of a semisimple group algebra. This is done by \textit{E. Jespers, G. Olteanu} and \textit{A. del Río} [in Rational group algebras of finite groups: from idempotents to units of integral group rings. Algebr. Represent. Theory (to appear). Preprint \url{arXiv:1001.1236v1}] for rational group algebras of nilpotent finite groups. In this paper, the authors prove such a description for finite group algebras of nilpotent groups. It is remarkable that there is a strong connection between the description given over the rationals and that over finite fields.