Blocks of defect zero in finite simple groups of Lie type (Q1107620)

The main result of this interesting article asserts that a finite simple group L of Lie type has a p-block of defect zero for every prime number p. This result completes a former study [J. Algebra 104, 220-230 (1986; Zbl 0608.20005)] by the reviewer, where the difficult case \(p=2\) was left open. For the primes 2 and 3 the simple alternating groups \({\mathcal A}_ n\) do not have p-blocks of defect zero for every degree n. Referring to unpublished computational work by A. O. L. Atkin and J. B. Olsson the author writes: ``There is some evidence to conjecture that for \(p\geq 5\) a finite simple non-abelian group always has a p-block of defect zero.'' Of course, only the alternating groups \({\mathcal A}_ n\) have to be checked.