Cartan matrices and Brauer's \(k(B)\)-conjecture V (Q2144397)

Let \(p\) be a prime, and let \(B\) be a \(p\)-block of a finite group \(G\) with defect group \(D\). Brauer conjectured that \(k(B)\), the number of irreducible characters in \(B\), satisfies the inequality \(k(B) \le |D|\). In the paper under review, the authors verify this conjecture in the situation where \(Z(D)\) contains an element \(z\) such that \(D/\langle z \rangle\) is metacyclic. They also verify Brauer's conjecture for all \(3\)-blocks with an abelian defect group of rank at most \(5\), and for all \(3\)-blocks of defect at most \(4\). Some results on \(p\)-blocks of defect \(2\) are also obtained. The proofs in the paper depend implicitly on the classification of the finite simple groups.