The eigenvalue field is a splitting field (Q2373356)

A classical theorem of \textit{R. Brauer} [Am. J. Math. 67, 461--471 (1945; Zbl 0061.03901)] states that every ordinary irreducible character of a finite group of exponent \(e\) can be realized over the field \(\mathbb{Q(\omega)}\) where \(\omega\) is a primitive \(e\)th root of \(1\) (in other words, over the field generated by the eigenvalues of the representing matrices). In the present paper the author proves a substantial generalization of this result. Let \(K\) be an algebraically closed field of arbitrary characteristic and \(S\subseteq M_{n}(K)\) be an irreducible semigroup of \(n\times n\) matrices over \(K\). If \(F\) is a subfield of \(K\) which contains the eigenvalues of all the matrices in \(S\), then \(S\) is conjugate under \(\text{GL}_{n}(K)\) to a semigroup in \(M_{n}(F)\). Moreover, if \(E\) is the subfield of \(K\) generated by the traces of the elements in \(S\), then \(S\) is conjugate to a semigroup in \(M_{n}(L)\) for some finite extension \(L\) of \(E\) with \(L\subseteq F\). The proof starts by showing that \(S\) is Zariski-dense in some algebraic group \(G\). Now, if the connected component \(G^{0}\) of \(1\) is abelian, then Brauer's theorem (or its modular analogue) applies. Otherwise \([G^{0},G^{0}]\) is a nontrivial connected semisimple algebraic group and properties of algebraic groups can be used. The latter part of the proof uses work of the author [\textit{J. Bernik}, Linear Multilinear Algebra 53, No. 4, 259--267 (2005; Zbl 1085.15020)], \textit{E. B. Vinberg} [Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Ser. Mat. 35, 45--55 (1971; Zbl 0211.04502)] and \textit{G. Prasad} and \textit{A. S. Rapinchuk} [Math. Res. Lett. 10, No. 1, 21--32 (2003; Zbl 1029.22020)].