Fields of values of Fong characters. (Q2492888)

Let \(p\) be a prime, let \(H\) be a \(p\)-complement of a \(p\)-solvable finite group \(G\), and let \(\varphi\) be an irreducible Brauer character of \(G\) in characteristic \(p\). Fong has shown that there exists an irreducible character \(\alpha\) of \(H\) such that the induced character \(\alpha^G\) coincides with the principal indecomposable character \(\Phi\) corresponding to \(\varphi\). Then \(\mathbb{Q}(\varphi)\subseteq\mathbb{Q}(\alpha)\), where \(\mathbb{Q}(\varphi)\) is the field generated by the values of \(\varphi\). The authors prove that \(\alpha\) can be chosen in such a way that the degree \([\mathbb{Q}(\alpha):\mathbb{Q}(\varphi)]\) divides the \(p\)-part of \(\varphi(1)\). In fact, they prove a more general result in which the prime \(p\) is replaced by \(\pi\), a set of primes.