On real and rational representations of finite groups (Q1194193)

The article under review is devoted to the study of finite linear groups of relatively small degree over subfields of the field \(\mathbb{R}\) of the real numbers. Let \(G\) be a finite group with a Sylow \(p\)-subgroup \(P\). The main results are the following. Theorem A. Let \(P\) be cyclic and let \(\chi\) be a character of a faithful representation \(X\) of \(G\) over a field \(F\subseteq \mathbb{R}\). Assume that \(\chi(1)\leq | P| -1\). Then one of the following holds: i) \(G\) is of type \(L_ 2(p)\); ii) \(G\) has a subgroup \(H\) of index \(| P|\) and either \(G=\text{SL}_ 2(2^ m) \times Z(G)\) with \(2^ m+1= | P|=p\) or 9 and \(| P|\leq \chi(1)+2\), or \(\chi= (1_ H^ G - 1_ G)\lambda\) where \(\lambda\) is a linear character of \(G\) with \(\lambda^ 2= 1_ G\); iii) \(O^{p'}(G) \cong \text{PSL}_ n(q)\) where \(n\) is an odd prime, \(q=v^ u\), \(v\) is a prime with \(v^{1/2}\in F\), \(u\) is odd, \(n\nmid (q-1)\) and \(| P|=(q^ n-1)/(q-1)\). There exists an involution \(x\in G\) which induces the inverse transpose automorphism on \(O^{p'}(G)\) and there exists \(T\vartriangleleft G\) such that \(O^{p'}(G) \subseteq T\), \(T\) has a subgroup of index \(| P|\), \(G= T\langle x\rangle\) and \(X_ T\) is equivalent to a representation over \(\mathbb{Q}\). Theorem B. Let \(G\) have a faithful representation over \(\mathbb{Q}\) of degree \(p-1\) with character \(\chi\). Then either \(G\) has a unique composition factor whose order is divisible by \(p\) and this factor is isomorphic to \(\text{PSL}_ 2(p)\); or \(G\) has a subgroup \(H\) of index \(| P|\) and \(\chi= (1_ H^ G -1_ G) \lambda\) where \(\lambda\) is a linear character of \(G\) with \(\lambda^ 2 =1_ G\). Theorem B verifies a conjecture stated by \textit{W. Feit} [in Proc. Symp. Pure Math. 37, 175-181 (1980; Zbl 0454.20014)]. The proof of Theorem A is based on previous results of the author [J. Algebra 131, No. 1, 92-109 (1990; Zbl 0696.20013)] which require the classification of finite simple groups. The author points out that \textit{J. Zhang} [J. Algebra 143, No. 2, 307-314 (1991; Zbl 0765.20019)] has obtained a list of the finite groups with a faithful complex representation of degree at most \(| P|- 1\), when \(P\) is a T.I.-set, but this result is not used in the article.