An extension of a result of Gauss to finite groups: a linear algebraic approach (Q2470901)

The following generalization of Fermat's little theorem, and its extension to composite modulus \(n\) by Gauss, is proved by linear algebra: let \(G\) be a finite group of \(n\) elements, \(o(g)\) the order of an element of \(g\in G\) and \(f\) be a homomorphism from \(G\) to \(\mathbb C^\times\). Then for any integer \(a\) the sum \(\sum_{g\in G}f(g)a^{n/o(g)}\) is an integer multiple of \(n\). But, as the author points out, this result is itself a special case of a more general result, proved by \textit{I. M. Isaacs} and the author as Corollary F in [``Generalizations of Fermat's little theorem via group theory'', Am. Math. Mon. 112, No. 8, 734--740 (2005; Zbl 1158.11302)]. This states that if \(G\) acts on a finite set \(\Omega\), and \(c(g)\) is the number of orbits of the cyclic group generated by \(g\) on \(\Omega\), then \(\sum_{g\in G}f(g)a^{c(g)}\) is an integer multiple of \(n\).