Bounds on the dimension of \(\mathrm{Ext}\) for finite groups of Lie type (Q2295388)

\par Let \(G\) be a finite group of Lie type. Of interest here is the modular representation theory of \(G\) in the \textit{non-defining} characteristic. That is, \(kG\)-modules over an algebraically closed field \(k\) of prime characteristic \(r\) different from the prime defining \(G\). In [Ann. Math. (2) 174, No. 1, 543--559 (2011; Zbl 1237.20039)], \textit{R. Guralnick} and \textit{P. H. Tiep} studied the first cohomology group \(H^1(G,V)\) for an irreducible \(kG\)-module \(V\) and showed that the dimension is bounded independent of \(V\). The goal of this work is to more generally bound the dimension of \(\operatorname{Ext}^1_{G}(Y,V)\) for irreducible \(kG\)-modules \(Y\) and \(V\). The group \(G\) admits a split \(BN\)-pair. Let \((W,S)\) be the associated Coxeter system and set \(T := B \cap N\). This setting allows for a Harish-Chandra theory with induction functors \(R_{L}^{G}(-)\) from \(kL\)-modules to \(kG\)-modules for a Levi subgroup \(L\) and adjoint restriction functors in the opposite direction. The set of irreducible \(kG\)-modules can be partitioned into so called \textit{Harish-Chandra series} parametrized (non-uniquely) by pairs \((L,X)\), where \(L\) is a Levi subgroup and \(X\) is a \textit{cuspidal} \(kL\)-module (meaning its Harish-Chandra restriction to any smaller Levi is zero). The irreducible modules in the series associated to \((L,X)\) are those that appear in the head (or, equivalently, socle) of \(R_{L}^{G}(X)\). The series associated to pairs \((T,X)\) are referred to as \textit{principal series} and the further special case of the pair \((T,k)\) as the \textit{unipotent principal series}. The author first considers the case when \(Y\) and \(V\) lie in distinct principal series. In this case, it is shown that \(\operatorname{Ext}^1_{G}(Y,V) = 0\). This makes use of a more general result (following the work of Guralnick and Tiep [loc. cit.]) that, if \(Y\) is a principal series module (associated to the pair \((T,X)\)) and \(Z\) is any irreducible not in that same series, then \(\dim \operatorname{Ext}^1_{G}(Y,Z)\) is the composition multiplicity of \(Z\) in the head of the \(kG\)-module \({\mathcal L}^0\), where \({\mathcal L}^0\) is the maximal submodule of \(R_{L}^{G}(X)\) with \(R_{L}^{G}(X)/{\mathcal L}^0 \cong Y\). Next the author considers the case that \(Y\) and \(V\) lie in the same principal series. When \(r\) does not divide \(|B|\), using the Mackey decomposition (on the composite of an induction followed by restriction), the author shows that \(\dim\operatorname{Ext}^1_{G}(Y,V) \leq |W|\). The case when \(r\) divides \(|B|\) is more complicated: \(\dim\operatorname{Ext}^1_{G}(Y,V) \leq n\cdot|W| + m\cdot e\), where \(n\) is the index of the associated inertia subgroup in \(W\), \(m\) is the minimum of the dimensions of \(Y\) and \(V\), and \(e\) is the rank of an \(r\)-Sylow subgroup of \(T\). In the case of the unipotent principal series, \(n = 1\) and, if \(Y\) is taken to be the (one-dimensional) trivial module \(k\), the bound reduces to \(|W| + e\), which recovers the result of Guralnick and Tiep [loc. cit.]. Lastly, the author considers the case when \(Y\) is in the unipotent principal series and \(V\) is not. From the result mentioned above, if \(V\) is not a composition factor of \(R_{T}^{G}(k)\), then the Ext-group vanishes. So it remains to consider the case when \(V\) is a composition factor of \(R_{T}^{G}(k)\), which the author does by using \(r\)-modular systems and results of \textit{M. Geck} [J. Algebra 475, 370--391 (2017; Zbl 1439.20011)]. With an added assumption on the group that every such \(V\) lies in a certain type of Harish-Chandra series associated to a subset \(J \subset S\), it is shown that \(\dim\operatorname{Ext}^1_{G}(Y,V) \leq [W:W_J]\). In particular, if \(V\) is a cuspidal \(kG\)-module, one gets a bound of 1. The author concludes the paper with a number of explicit computations of these bounds for finite general linear groups of small rank.