A class of blocks behaving like blocks of \(p\)-solvable groups. (Q2498889)

Let \(G\) be a finite group, \(p\) a prime, and \(Q\) a \(p\)-subgroup of \(G\). A normal series \(1=G_0\triangleleft G_1\triangleleft\cdots\triangleleft G_{n-1}\triangleleft G_n=G\) is `compatible' with \(Q\) if for each \(i>0\), \(G_i/G_{i-1}\) is a \(p\)-group or \(Q_i=Q_{i-1}\), where \(Q_i:=Q\cap G_i\). Let \({\mathcal C}_p\) be the class of \(p\)-blocks of finite groups \(G\), such that there is a normal series for \(G\) which is compatible with a defect group of \(B\). The class \({\mathcal C}_p\) contains \(p\)-blocks whose defect groups are contained in a normal \(p\)-solvable groups, and blocks of defect zero. The author proves that a version of the Fong-Swan theorem holds for blocks in \({\mathcal C}_p\). He also shows that if \(\chi\) is an irreducible character of \(G\) belonging to a block \(B\) in \({\mathcal C}_p\) with defect group \(D\) such that \([D:Z(D)]=p^c\), then \(\chi\) has height at most \(c\). In particular, if \(D\) is Abelian, then every character in \(B\) has height zero.