On Brauer's induction formula of characters of groups (Q1337770)

Let \(G\) be a finite group and \(\chi\) an irreducible character of \(G\). A well-known theorem of R. Brauer states that \(\chi\) can be expressed as a linear combination with rational integer coefficients of monomial characters \(\lambda^G_i\) of \(G\): (*): \(\chi=\sum^N_{i=1}a_i\lambda_i^G\). In June 1993 G. O. Michler asked if for any non-principal irreducible character \(\chi\) one can find an expression (*) for \(\chi\) in which none of the \(\lambda^G_i\) contains \(1_G\) as an irreducible constituent. The paper answers this question in the affirmative. The author mentions that a positive answer to Michler's question has consequences for the behaviour of Dedekind \(\zeta\)-function and of Artin \(L\)-functions of algebraic number fields.