On the number of non-zero character values in generalized blocks of symmetric groups (Q1745384)

Let $n\ge 1$ and $l\ge 2$ be integers. A partition $\lambda\vdash n$ is called an $l$-class regular partition if none of its parts is divisible by $l$. A conjugacy class in the symmetric group $S_n$ corresponding to an $l$-class regular partition is called $l$-regular. For partitions $\lambda$ and $\nu$ with $|\nu|=|\lambda|=n$, let $\chi^{\nu}$ be the irreducible character of $S_n$ corresponding to $\nu$, and let $\chi_{\lambda}^{\nu}$ be the value of $\chi^{\nu}$ on the conjugacy class in $S_n$ corresponding to $\lambda$. For an $l$-core $\mu \vdash n-wl$ with $w\ge 0$, define the generalized $l$-block $B_{l}(\mu,w)$ to be the set of partitions of $n$ with $l$-core $\mu$. \par In the paper under review, the author studies lower bounds for the number of irreducible characters contained in the same generalized $l$-block which do not vanish on a certain $l$-regular conjugacy class. More precisely, the author proves the following: \par Theorem. Let $\mu \vdash n-wl$ be an $l$-core with $w\ge 0$. Then \[\min\left\{c_\mu(\lambda):\lambda\vdash |\mu|+wl \text{ is $l$-class regular and $c_\mu(\lambda)\ne 0$}\right\}=w+1,\] where \[c_{\mu}(\lambda):=|\left\{\nu\in B_l(\mu,w):\chi_{\lambda}^\nu\ne 0\right\}|.\]