\(p\)-blocks relative to a character of a normal subgroup (Q1783399)

Some of the main conjectures in the representation theory of finite groups admit refinements in terms of Brauer \(p\)-blocks, which furthermore, bring more structure into these problems. There is a general belief that the way to approach these conjectures is through a reduction of them to problems on simple groups, and then use the classification of finite simple groups to solve them. One of the main techniques used in the reduction of character theory problems to simple groups is the study of projective versions of these conjectures. In this paper, the author refines Brauer classical \(p\)-blocks in the following sense. Let fix a prime \(p\), let \(N\) be a normal subgroup of a group \(G\), and let \(\theta\) be an irreducible character of \(N\). Write \(\mathrm{Irr}(G|\theta)\) for the set of the irreducible constituents of the induced character \(\theta^G\). The author defines a set of canonical blocks that are constructed over \(\theta\) and gives the definition of the \(\theta\)-blocks, which are defined by means of projective representations, using the theory of the character triples introduced by I. M. Isaacs. A non-trivial part of this work is to prove that they constitute a canonical partition of the set \(\mathrm{Irr}(G|\theta\)), that is, \(\theta\)-blocks are canonical and independent of the choices made in order to define them. Also, associated to every \(\theta\)-block, there is a uniquely defined \(G/N\)-conjugacy class of \(p\)-subgroups of \(G/N\) which are called the \(\theta\)-defect groups. They behave as the defect groups of the classical Brauer \(p\)-blocks, and in fact, if \(N\) is trivial, the \(\theta\)-blocks are exactly the Brauer \(p\)-blocks. This character theoretical approach is new and is specifically tailored to be used in the recent developments of the global-local counting conjectures. Using \(\theta\)-blocks, the author shows how one can unify the Gluck-Wolf-Navarro-Tiep theorem and Brauer's height zero conjecture in a single statement, which, after the work of \textit{B. Sambale} [Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 147, No. 2, 487--488 (2019; Zbl 1458.20010)], turns out to be equivalent to the height zero conjecture. It is also proved that the \(k(B)\)-conjecture (recall that it is unsolved and unreduced to simple groups) is true if and only if every \(\theta\)-block \(B_\theta\) has size less than or equal to the size of any of its \(\theta\)-defect groups. The author asserts that statements relating normal subgroups and the \(k(B)\)-conjecture might help to a better understanding on this problem.