On the characters of the affine group over a finite field (Q1204554)

Let \(G = G_n\) be the general linear group of an \(n\)-dimensional vector space \(V = V_n\) over \(\mathbb{F}_q\), the finite field of \(q\) elements. Let \(T = T_n\) be the group of translations of \(V\). Then \(G\) normalizes \(T_n\) and we form the semidirect product \(A = A_n = T_n G_n\), which is the affine group of \(V\). In the natural (right) action of \(G_{n + 1}\) on \(V_{n + 1}\) the group \(A\) may be viewed as a point stabilizer. Thus information on \(A\) may be obtained from either \(G_n\) or \(G_{n + 1}\). The characters of \(A\) have been studied by S. I. Gel'fand, D. K. Faddeev, and R. Gow. In particular descriptions of the irreducible characters of \(A\) were obtained by Faddeev and Gow. In this paper we reconcile these two descriptions, giving a new proof of Faddeev's description. This description is used in extending to \(A\) a result of R. Steinberg on a permutation character of \(G\).