Trivial-source endotrivial modules for sporadic groups (Q2028004)

The article is a contribution to the study of endotrivial modules. Given a finite group \(G\) and a field \(k\) of positive characteristic \(p\), with \(p\) dividing the order of \(G\), a finitely generated \(kG\)-module \(M\) is endotrivial if its endomorphism algebra \(\operatorname{End}_kM\) of \(k\)-linear maps \(M\to M\) is isomorphic to the direct sum of the trivial \(kG\)-module \(k\) and a projective module. The group \(T(G)\) of endotrivial modules is the group of equivalence classes of endotrivial \(kG\)-modules, where \(M\sim N\) if there exist projective modules \(P\) and \(Q\) such that \(M\oplus P\cong N\oplus Q\). It is known that \(T(G)\) is finitely generated, and that the subgroup \(T(G,S)=\ker(\operatorname{Res}^G_S:T(G)\to T(S))\), where \(S\) is a Sylow \(p\)-subgroup of \(G\), is contained in the torsion subgroup of \(T(G)\). The present article is an in-depth look at \(T(G,S)\) in the case when \(k\) is algebraically closed. The author successfully combines old and new methods to improve on the existing results, correcting some errors in published articles. Hence, Craven completes the determination of \(T(G,S)\) for all sporadic groups \(G\) and their ``almost quasi-simple'' versions (e.g. double cover of a sporadic group). He also constructs modules in \(T(G,S)\) for some (relatively) small sporadic groups, and considers simple endotrivial modules, complementing work of [\textit{C. Lassueur} et al., J. Reine Angew. Math. 712, 141--174 (2016; Zbl 1397.20022)].