Composition factors of tensor products of symmetric powers. (Q2347984)

Let \(K\) be an algebraically closed field of prime characteristic \(p\) and consider the general linear group \(\text{GL}_n(K)\). Let \(E\) (depending on \(n\)) denote the natural module for \(\text{GL}_n(K)\) and \(S(E)\) denote the symmetric algebra on \(E\). The main result of this manuscript is a determination of the composition factors of the tensor product \(S(E)\otimes S(E)\). Recall that irreducible \(\text{GL}_n(K)\)-modules are parametrized by partitions with at most \(n\) parts. For a partition \(\lambda\), let \(L(\lambda)\) denote the irreducible \(\text{GL}_n(K)\)-module with highest weight \(\lambda\). To obtain this result, the authors consider the related tensor product \(\overline S(E)\otimes\overline S(E)\), where \(\overline S(E):=S(E)/I\) with \(I\) being the ideal generated by \(p\)th powers of elements in \(E\). In previous work [Adv. Math. 285, 394-433 (2015; Zbl 1332.20047)], the authors related composition factors of \(S(E)^{\otimes m}\) to those in \(\overline S(E)^{\otimes m}\) for a general \(m\) and obtained descriptions of composition factors in the truncated case. Results from that work are used extensively here. The key computation in this paper is a characterization of those partitions \(\lambda\) for which \(L(\lambda)\) is a composition factor of \(\overline S(E)\otimes\overline S(E)\otimes\Lambda(E)\), where \(\Lambda(E)\) denotes the exterior algebra on \(E\). In addition to the main result, a few additional consequences are obtained. Building on other prior work [J. Algebra 392, 125-141 (2013; Zbl 1298.20055)], the authors investigate injective polynomial \(\text{GL}_3(K)\)-modules. More precisely, for a partition \(\lambda\), let \(I(\lambda)\) denote the injective hull of \(L(\lambda)\) in the category of polynomial \(\text{GL}_3(K)\)-modules. The authors characterize those \(\lambda\) for which the restriction of \(I(\lambda)\) to the first Frobenius kernel of \(\text{GL}_3(K)\) is injective. In a different direction, the authors use the well-known relationship between polynomial \(\text{GL}_n(K)\)-modules and modules for a finite symmetric group to make some observations about the composition factors of certain Specht modules.