Shintani descent for algebraic groups over a finite field. I (Q1183313)

In previous papers [Adv. Stud. Pure Math. 6, 207-229 (1985; Zbl 0572.20027), J. Fac. Sci., Univ. Tokyo, Sect I A 34, 599-653 (1987; Zbl 0643.20019)] the author studied Shintani descent (i.e. lifting of characters) for connected reductive groups over a finite field. In this paper he studies the same problem for arbitrary algebraic groups over a finite field. Let \(G\) be a not necessarily connected algebraic group defined over \(F_ q\) with a Frobenius morphism \(F: G\to G\). Let \(L\) be a connected algebraic group over \(F_ q\), again with a Frobenius morphism \(F: L\to L\) such that \(G\) is an \(F\)-stable closed subgroup of \(L\). Let \(\xi\) be an element in \(L^ F\) normalizing \(G\). If \(m\) is a positive integer then the map \(F'=\xi^{-1}F^ m: G\to G\) defined by \(F'(g)=\xi^{-1}F^ m(g)\xi\) can be regarded as a Frobenius morphism on \(G\) with respect to some \(F_{q^ m}\)-structure, commuting with \(F\). Similarly let \(F''=\xi^{-1}F^{m'}\) for some \(m'\). Assuming \(m\) large enough such that (i) \(F^ m\) acts trivially on the component group \(A_ G=G/G_ 0\), (ii) for \(a\in A_ G\), \(aF(a)\dots F^{m-1}(a)=1\), and similar conditions on \(m'\), the author defines (1.7) a ``relative Shintani descent map'' \(M^*_{F''/F'}: C(G^{F''}/\sim F)\to C(G^{F'}/\sim F)\). Here \(C(G^{F'}/\sim F)\) is the space of \(\mathbb{C}\)- valued functions on \(F\)-conjugacy classes of \(G^{F'}\). Now let \(\sigma,\sigma'\) be the restrictions of \(F\) to \(G^{F'}\), \(G^{F''}\) respectively, and let \(\tilde G^{F'}\), \(\tilde G^{F''}\) be the semidirect products of \(G^{F'}\), \(G^{F''}\) by the cyclic groups \(\langle \sigma\rangle\), \(\langle \sigma'\rangle\) respectively. Let \(m'=mr\) for some \(r\). The author defines the concept of relative lifting with respect to \(M^*_{F''/F'}\). The relative lifting exists if for any character \(\tilde \rho\) of \(\tilde G^{F'}\) which is an extension of an \(F\)-fixed irreducible character \(\rho\) of \(G^{F'}\), there exists an \(F\)-fixed irreducible character \(\psi\) of \(G^{F''}\) and an extension \(\tilde \psi\) of \(\psi\) to \(\tilde G^{F''}\) such that \(M^*_{F''/F'}(\tilde\rho\mid G^{F'}\sigma)=\mu(\tilde\psi\mid G^{F''}\sigma')\) where \(\mu\) is a root of unity. The main theorem (3.1) is as follows. Suppose an \(F\)-stable maximal unipotent subgroup of \(G_ 0\) is an exponential unipotent group over \(F_ q\). (This means that there is an exponential map \(\exp\) over \(F_ q\) from the Lie algebra of the unipotent group to the unipotent group, and the group law is defined in terms of the Campbell-Hausdorff formula; such a map exists if the characteristic of \(F_ q\) is large.) Then there exists an integer \(m_ 0>0\) such that for any \(m\), \(r\) with \(m_ 0\) dividing \(m\), the relative lifting exists with respect to \(M^*_{F''/F'}\). As a consequence there is a simultaneous parametrization of the set of \(F\)-fixed irreducible characters of \(G^{F'}\) for all such \(m\). When \(G\) is connected and \(\xi=1\) the author also defines analogues of the ``almost characters'' defined by Lusztig for reductive groups with connected center. He then considers ``twisting operators'' \(t^*_ r: C(G^{\xi^ rF}\xi)\to C(G^ F\xi)\), where \(C(G^ F\xi)\) is the space of class functions on \(G^ F\xi\), which are analogues of the twisting operators for reductive groups studied by \textit{T. Asai} [see e.g. Commun. Algebra 12, 2729-2857 (1984; Zbl 0547.20037)]. He shows (4.7) that his almost characters are stabilized by \(t^*_ 1\), up to roots of unity. Finally the example of a solvable group \(G\) of dimension 2 over \(F_ q\) is worked out in detail to illustrate the behavior of Shintani descent for non-reductive groups.