On the divisibility of character values of the symmetric group (Q2189418)

Let \(\lambda\) be a partition of \(n\). Given a partition \((\mu_1,\ldots,\mu_\ell) \vdash k\) where \(k \le n\), let \(\chi^\lambda_\mu\) denote the character value of the irreducible character of \(S_n\) canonically labelled by the partition \(\lambda\) on elements of \(S_n\) of cycle type \((\mu_1, \ldots, \mu_\ell, 1^{n-k})\). Let \(p(n)\) be the number of partitions of \(n\). The main theorem of this paper states that for each \(d \in \mathbb{N}\) and any fixed partition \(\mu\) of \(k \in \mathbb{N}_0\), \[ \lim_{n \rightarrow \infty} \frac{\# \{ \lambda \vdash n : \text{\(\chi^\lambda_\mu\) is divisible by \(d\)} \}}{p(n)} =1 \] In particular, taking \(k = 0\), the theorem implies that for any \(d \in \mathbb{N}\), when \(n\) is large, almost every degree \(f^\lambda\) of an irreducible character of \(S_n\) is divisible by \(d\). The proof uses the machinery of \(q\)-core towers, as introduced by \textit{I. G. Macdonald} [Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 3, 189--192 (1971; Zbl 0219.20008)] and developed by \textit{J. B. Olsson} [Math. Scand. 38, 25--42 (1976; Zbl 0327.20005)], and a corollary of a theorem of Lasalle that \(\chi^\lambda_\mu = \frac{f^\lambda}{\binom{n}{k} k!} A^\lambda_\mu\) for some integer \(A^\lambda_\mu\).