Hook modules for general linear groups. (Q1024148)

Let \(k\) be an infinite field of characteristic \(p>0\) and let \(M_n(k)\) denote the monoid of \(n\times n\) matrices with entries in \(k\). This short note contains a description of the structure of a block of \(M_n(k)\) whose simple modules are indexed by \(p\)-hook partitions (partitions of the form \(\lambda^i=(p-1,1^i)\)). For such a partition, let \(L(\lambda^i)\) denote the simple module of highest weight \(\lambda^i\) and \(\Delta(\lambda^i)\) denote the Weyl module. Then the main theorem in the paper states that \(\Delta(\lambda^i)\) has two composition factors \(L(\lambda^i)\) and \(L(\lambda^{i+1})\) when \(0\leq i<\min(n-1,p-1)\), and if \(i=\min(n-1,p-1)\) then \(\Delta(\lambda^i)\) is simple. As a consequence of this result, the authors are able to describe the module structure of the family of projective-injective tilting modules labelled by \(p\)-hooks, and to prove a character formula for simple \(\text{GL}_n(k)\)-modules labelled by \(p\)-hooks (conjectured by Jantzen). The techniques in the paper are fairly elementary, and allow a self-contained exposition. It should be noted, as the authors themselves point out, that most of the results in the paper also appear elsewhere, are special cases of results already in the literature, or follow relatively quickly from results already in the literature: see \textit{J. Brundan}, \textit{A. Kleshchev} and \textit{I. Suprunenko} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 500, 83-112 (1998; Zbl 0909.20026)], \textit{S. R. Doty}, \textit{K. Erdmann} and \textit{D. K. Nakano} [Algebr. Represent. Theory 7, No. 1, 67-99 (2004; Zbl 1084.20004)], and \textit{O. Mathieu} and \textit{G. Papadopoulo} [Comment. Math. Helv. 74, No. 2, 280-296 (1999; Zbl 0935.20029)] for related results.