Average number of zeros of characters of finite groups

DOI10.1016/J.JALGEBRA.2021.03.030MaRDI QIDQ2019291zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Sesuai Yash Madanha

Publication date 20 April 2021

Published in Journal of Algebra (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/2011.12374

zbMATH Keywords

abelian groupsnilpotent groupssolvable groupssupersolvable groupszeros of characters

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Ordinary representations and characters (20C15) Finite solvable groups, theory of formations, Schunck classes, Fitting classes, (pi)-length, ranks (20D10) Arithmetic and combinatorial problems involving abstract finite groups (20D60)

Abstract: There has been some interest on how the average character degree affects the structure of a finite group. We define, and denote by $mathrmanz(G)$, the average number of zeros of characters of a finite group $G$ as the number of zeros in the character table of $G$ divided by the number of irreducible characters of $G$. We show that if $mathrmanz(G)<1$, then the group $G$ is solvable and also that if $mathrmanz(G)<frac12$, then $G$ is supersolvable. We characterise abelian groups by showing that $mathrmanz(G)<frac13$ if and only if $G$ is abelian.

Review text

Given a finite group \(G\), let \(\mathrm{anz}(G)\) be the average number of zeros in the rows of the character table. The main result in this paper shows that if \(\mathrm{anz}(G)<1\) then \(G\) is solvable. In order to prove this result, the author proves the following extendibility result: if \(N\) is a nonabelian minimal normal subgroup of a finite group \(G\), then there exists a nonprincipal irreducible character of \(N\) that extends to an irreducible character \(\chi\) of \(G\) that vanishes on at least two \(G\)-conjugacy classes. As could be expected, the proof of this result relies on the classification of finite simple groups. Other related results are proved in this paper. For instance, if \(\mathrm{anz}(G)<1/2\) then \(G\) is supersolvable and if \(G\) has odd order and \(\mathrm{anz}(G)<1\) then \(G\) is supersolvable. It is also conjectured that this later result can be improved to: if \(G\) has odd order and \(\mathrm{anz}(G)<16/11\) then \(G\) is supersolvable. Reviewer's remarks: The reviewer [``Groups with a small average number of zeros in the character table, Preprint, \url{arXiv:2106.01943}] has proved that there are exactly 4 nonabelian odd order groups with \(\mathrm{anz}(G)<16/11\): they are the Frobenius groups of order \(3\cdot7\), \(3\cdot13\), \(3\cdot19\) and \(5\cdot11\). He has also obtained a classification of the finite groups with \(\mathrm{anz}(G)<1\) that is independent of the main result of this paper and does not use the above mentioned extendibility theorem.

Recommendations

• Groups with a small average number of zeros in the character table
• Finite groups with average number of character zeros equal to one
• On the average character degree of finite groups.
• The average degree of an irreducible character of a finite group.
• On zeros of characters of finite groups

Cites work

• Character degree sums in finite nonsolvable groups.
• Character degree sums of finite groups.
• Character degrees of extensions of \(\mathrm{PSL}_2(q)\) and \(\mathrm{SL}_2(q)\).
• Character theory of finite groups.
• Characters of \(p^\prime\)-degree and Thompson's character degree theorem
• Finite Groups Having Only One Irreducible Representation of Degree Greater than One
• Finite Solvable Groups with an Irreducible Character Vanishing on Just One Class of Elements
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3906699 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3762273 (Why is no real title available?)
• Irreducible characters of even degree and normal Sylow 2-subgroups
• On a question of Dixon and Rahnamai Barghi
• On the average character degree and the average class size in finite groups.
• On the average character degree of finite groups.
• On the commuting probability in finite groups.
• On zeros of characters of finite groups
• The average character degree and an improvement of the Itô-Michler theorem
• The average degree of an irreducible character of a finite group.
• Zeros of primitive characters of finite groups

Cited in

(7)

• Finite groups with few character zeros
• Groups with a small average number of zeros in the character table
• Finite groups with average number of character zeros equal to one
• On the product of vanishing classes in a finite group
• Real strongly monolithic characters of finite groups
• Odd-order groups with small average number of zeros of characters
• On zeros of strongly monolithic characters of finite groups

This page was built for publication: Average number of zeros of characters of finite groups

Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q2019291)