The decomposition of the permutation character \(1^{\text{GL}(2n,q)}_{\text{GL}(n,q^2)}\) (Q1400178)

Let \(p\) be a prime and let \(q=p^a\), where \(a\) is a positive integer. Let \(\text{GL}_n(q)\) denote the general linear group of degree \(n\) over the field of \(q\) elements. The group \(H=\text{GL}_n(q^2)\) is a subgroup of \(G=\text{GL}_{2n}(q)\). \textit{N. F. J. Inglis}, \textit{M. W. Liebeck} and \textit{J. Saxl} proved [in Math. Z. 192, 329-337 (1986; Zbl 0578.20006)] that the permutation character \(\pi\) of \(G\) acting on the cosets of \(H\) is multiplicity-free, meaning that each irreducible constituent of \(\pi\) has multiplicity one. This follows since each double coset \(HxH\) of \(H\) in \(G\) is equal to its inverse coset \(Hx^{-1}H\). The authors of the present paper identify the irreducible constituents of \(\pi\), using Green's parametrization of the irreducible characters of \(G\). They show also that the number of irreducible constituents of \(\pi\) is \(\sum q^{l(\lambda)}\), the sum extending over all partitions \(\lambda\) of \(n\), where \(l(\lambda)\) equals the number of parts of \(\lambda\). The authors also note that \textit{A. Henderson} has obtained their main theorem when \(q\) is odd [J. Algebra 261, No. 1, 102-144 (2003; Zbl 1020.20030)].