Casimir operator and a theorem of Reynolds on character degrees (Q1293304)

W. F. Reynolds has proved the following result: If \(H\) is a normal subgroup of a finite group \(G\) and \(\chi\) is an irreducible character of \(G\), then \(\chi(1)\) divides \(|G:H|\varphi(1)\) for every irreducible constituent of \(\chi_H\). (In fact, this is true even in the case when \(H\) is subnormal.) In particular, if \(H\) is Abelian, \(\chi(1)\) divides \(|G:H|\) (N. Ito). The usual proof is very short but based on Clifford theory. The author offers a new proof based on the so-called Casimir operator. The Casimir operator can be written in the form \(s_G=\sum_{x,y\in G}[x,y]\). Obviously, \(s_G\in Z(\mathbb{C} G)\), the center of group algebra \(\mathbb{C} G\). Reynolds' Theorem is a consequence of the following theorem of independent interest: Theorem 2. Let \(H\) be a normal subgroup of \(G\) and \(\rho_G\) the regular character of \(G\). Then, for every \(n\in\mathbb{N}\), \(\rho_G(s_g\cdot s_H^{-1})\in\mathbb{N}\). Moreover, Reynolds' Theorem implies Theorem 2. In the proof of this the following number theoretic lemma is used: Lemma 1. Let \(q_1,\dots,q_r\) be positive rational numbers. All \(q_i\) are natural if and only if, for every \(n\in\mathbb{N}\), the sum \(\sum^r_{i=1}q^n_i\in\mathbb{N}\).