On Brauer's \(k(B)\) problem (Q1188150)

Various results are proved concerning some invariants of a given \(p\)- block \(B\) of a finite group \(G\). The invariants include the numbers \(k_ 0(B)\), \(k_ *(B)\) and \(k_ +(B)\), where \(k_ *(B) = k_ 0(B) + \dots + k_ h(B)p^{2h} + \dots\), \(k_ +(B) = k_ *(B) - k_ 0(B)\) and \(k_ h(B)\) is the number of characters of height \(h\) in \(B\). Some of the results require the defect group of \(B\) to be abelian and involve the inertial factor group, but the last section of the paper contains the proof of a new general inequality.