Steinberg characters for Chevalley groups over finite local rings. (Q2370265)

Let \(G\) be a Chevalley group, possibly `extended' with an enlarged torus as in the case of \(\text{GL}_n\). Let \(R\) be a finite local ring whose residue field has very good characteristic for \(G\). In the case of \(\text{GL}_n\), both P.~Lees and G.~Hill have introduced a Steinberg character of \(G(R)\). The author generalizes it and shows how it arises as the character of a representation in the top homology of a simplicial complex. Unlike the case where \(R\) is a field, originally considered by Steinberg, the character need no longer be irreducible and the issue is to find its decomposition. The constituents are described in terms of Gelfand-Graev characters. If \(G\) is a fully extended Chevalley group, then the Steinberg character is irreducible and corresponds with a linear character of a Hecke algebra. This linear character is related to a sign character.