A quotient of the set \([BG,BU(n)]\) for a finite group \(G\) of small rank. (Q1428103)

One major problem of homotopy theory is the computation of homotopy classes of maps between classifying spaces. This article is concerned with the case of maps from classifying spaces of finite groups \(G\) to the the classifying space of a unitary group \(U(n)\). Previous results appeared in [\textit{W. Dwyer} and \textit{A. Zabrodsky}, Algebraic topology, Proc.\ Symp., Barcelona 1986, Lect. Notes Math. 1298, 106--119 (1987; Zbl 0646.55007)], [\textit{G. Mislin} and \textit{C. Thomas}, Q. J. Math., Oxf. II. Ser. 40, No.~157, 65--78 (1989; Zbl 0683.55006)]. Let \(G\) be a finite group, \(p\) a prime number dividing \(| G| \), the order of \(G\), and \(G_p\) a Sylow \(p\)-subgroup of \(G\). \(\text{Char}_n^G(G_p)\) stands for the set of degree \(n\) complex characters of \(G_p\) that are restrictions of class functions of \(G\), or, in other words, stable under fusion in \(G\). There are natural maps \[ [BG,BU(n)] \mathop{\;\longrightarrow\;} [BG,BU(n){{}^\wedge_p}] \mathop{\;\longrightarrow\;}^{\phi_{G,p}} \text{Char}^G_n(G_p) \tag{1} \] the first induced by Bousfield-Kan \(p\)-completion \(BU(n) \to BU(n){{}^\wedge_p}\), and the second by precomposing with the map induced by the inclusion of \(G_p\) in \(G\), and then associating the character of the unique representation \(G_p\to U(n)\) inducing the given composition at the level of classifying spaces, see \textit{W. Dwyer} and \textit{A. Zabrodsky} [loc.cit.]. Considering all primes dividing \(| G| \) at once one gets \[ \psi_G\colon [BG,BU(n)] \mathop{\;\longrightarrow\;} \prod_{p\bigm| | G| } \text{Char}^G_n(G_p) \tag{2} \] The main result of this paper establishes that \(\psi_G\) is surjective if \(G\) does not contain a rank three elementary abelian subgroup. Furthermore, if either, \(G\) is of odd order, or \(G\) does not contain a rank two elementary abelian subgroup, then \(\psi_G\) is bijective. The proof uses homology decompositions of classifying spaces of finite groups, cf. \textit{Dwyer} and \textit{Z. Zabrodsky} [loc. cit.] in order to reduce the analysis of \(\phi_{G,p}\) for a general finite group \(G\) to the simpler case of finite \(p\)-groups. As usual, this procedure involves the computation of some obstruction classes. The author uses methods of [\textit{S. Jackowski, J. E. McClure} and \textit{B. Oliver}, Ann. Math. (2) 135, No.~1, 183--226 (1992; Zbl 0758.55004)] and [\textit{J. Grodal}, Ann. Math. (2) 155, No.~2, 405--457 (2002; Zbl 1004.55008)] in order to show the vanishing of the relevant obstruction groups in some cases. These are the restrictions on the groups \(G\) that appear in his main results.