Generalized Frobenius-Schur numbers. (Q1879669)

The starting point for this paper is a finite group \(G\) and an automorphism \(\tau\) of \(G\) satisfying \(\tau^r=1\), where \(r\) is a positive integer. By analogy with field theory, define \(N\colon G\to G\) by \(N(g)=g\tau(g)\cdots\tau^{r-1}(g)\). Such norm maps appear in the theory of Shintani descent for finite groups of Lie type. Given an irreducible complex character \(\chi\) of \(G\), the authors define \(\varepsilon_\tau(\chi)\) by \(\varepsilon_\tau(\chi)=(1/|G|)\sum\chi(N(g))\), the sum extending over all elements \(g\) of \(G\). They give an interpretation of this quantity as the trace of a particular endomorphism and show that it is an algebraic integer in the field of \(r\)-th roots of unity, but not necessarily a rational integer. The paper may be said to be an exploration of the ways that expressions such as \(\varepsilon_\tau(\chi)\) enter into character theory and how they may be used to explain known results. The case that has historically provided the best applications occurs when \(r=2\). Taking \(r=2\) and \(\tau\) to be the identity, \(\varepsilon_\tau(\chi)\) is the familiar Frobenius-Schur invariant of \(\chi\), which takes the values \(1\), \(-1\) or \(0\), and is related to reality properties of \(\chi\). When \(r=2\), and \(\tau\) has order 2, \(\varepsilon_\tau(\chi)\) was investigated by \textit{N. Kawanaka} and \textit{H. Matsuyama} [Hokkaido Math. J. 19, No. 3, 495-508 (1990; Zbl 0791.20006)], and this invariant has properties rather similar to the Frobenius-Schur indicator. These invariants are relevant to the study of multiplicity-free representations, and the authors devote some attention to the subject of models of representations. A model of the representations of \(G\) is a representation containing each irreducible representation of \(G\) exactly once and such models have been studied especially by I. M. Gelfand and his coworkers. The authors investigate connections between \(\varepsilon_\tau(\chi)\) and models of the representations of \(G\), especially those arising from what they call a generalized involution model of \(G\). They also examine Shintani descent in the context of the methods they have developed.