The blocks and weights of finite special linear and unitary groups (Q1714853)

Let \(G\) be a finite group and \(\ell\) be a prime. An \(\ell\)-weight of \(G\) is a pair \((R,\varphi)\) where \(R\) is an \(\ell\)-subgroup of \(G\) and \(\varphi \in\operatorname{Irr}(N_{G}(R))\) with \(R\leq\ker\varphi\); thus \(\varphi\) has \(\ell\)-defect \(0\) when considered as a character of \(N_{G}(R)/R\). If \(B\) is an \(\ell\)-block of \(G\), then \((R,\varphi)\) is called a \(B\)-weight if \(\mathrm{bl}(\varphi)^{G}=B\) where \(\mathrm{bl}(\varphi)\) is the \(\ell\)-block of \(N_{G}(R)\) containing \(\varphi\). Define \(\mathcal{W}_{\ell}(B)\) to be the set of \(G\)-conjugacy classes of \(B\)-weights and let \(\mathrm{IBr}_{\ell}(B)\) be the set of irreducible \(\ell\)-Brauer characters of \(G\) associated with the block \(B\). The blockwise Alperin weight conjecture (BAWC) [\textit{J. L. Alperin}, Proc. Symp. Pure Math. 47, 369--379 (1987; Zbl 0657.20013)] states that for each \(\ell\)-block \(B\) of \(G\) we have \(|\mathcal{W}_{\ell}(B)|=|\mathrm{IBr}_{\ell}(B)|\). In general, BAWC is still open although the conjecture has been proved in special cases (see, for example, [\textit{I. M. Isaacs} and \textit{G. Navarro}, J. Algebra 177, No. 2, 339--366 (1995; Zbl 0843.20008); \textit{M. Cabanes}, J. Algebra 115, No. 1, 1--31 (1988; Zbl 0656.20003); \textit{J. An}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 342, No. 1, 1--42 (1994; Zbl 0822.20008)]). It is known that BAWC holds for all finite groups if all non-abelian finite simple groups satisfy a system of conditions called the inductive blockwise Alperin weight (iBAW) condition (see [\textit{S. Koshitani} and \textit{B. Späth}, J. Group Theory 19, No. 5, 777--813 (2016; Zbl 1370.20009)] for the version of iBAW used here). The main results of the present paper are the following theorems. Let \(G\) be one of the groups \(\mathrm{SL}_{n}(q)\) or \(\mathrm{SU}_{n}(q)\) (for any \(n\)) and assume that \(\ell\nmid|Z(G)|\). Then (Theorem 1.2): BAWC holds for each \(\ell\)-block of \(G\); and (Theorem 1.3) the iBAW condition holds for each unipotent \(\ell\)-block of \(G\).