The McKay conjecture and Galois automorphisms. (Q2567337)

Let \(G\) be a finite group and let \(p\) be a prime divisor of \(|G|\). A major problem in group representation theory is to relate properties of the irreducible complex characters of \(G\) to corresponding properties of the irreducible complex characters of \(p\)-local subgroups of \(G\). Probably the prototype for the sort of correspondence envisaged is the McKay conjecture. This conjecture is the assertion that the number of irreducible complex characters of \(G\) of \(p'\)-degree equals the number of irreducible complex characters of \(p'\)-degree of \(N_G(P)\), where \(P\) is a Sylow \(p\)-subgroup of \(G\). This conjecture has been verified for many classes of groups, including \(p\)-solvable groups, but a proof in general still seems to be remote. To understand the nature of conjectures such as that of McKay, the author proposes a generalization, denoted by Conjecture A, to include the action of special types of Galois automorphisms. We can summarize Conjecture A as follows. Let \(e\) be a non-negative integer and let \(\sigma\) be an automorphism of \(\mathbb{Q}_{|G|}\) which sends every \(p'\)-root of unity \(\xi\) to \(\xi^{p^e}\). Then in its action on the irreducible complex characters of \(G\), \(\sigma\) should fix the same number of characters of \(p'\)-degree of both \(G\) and \(N_G(P)\). Conjecture A already implies that we can decide whether or not a Sylow \(p\)-subgroup of \(G\) is self-normalizing by inspection of the character table of \(G\). Another of its consequences is that the number of irreducible \(p\)-rational complex characters of \(p'\)-degree is also the same for both \(G\) and \(N_G(P)\). The current status of the conjecture is that it is proved for solvable groups, and in a particularly strong form for groups of odd order. It is also proved for the symmetric groups and for all sporadic simple groups. There is a blockwise version of Conjecture A, denoted by Conjecture B, similar to the blockwise version of McKay's conjecture proposed by J. Alperin. The author proves his Conjecture B in the case that the defect group is cyclic, availing of arguments of Dade and Feit. The consequences of even this special case are surprisingly strong in some circumstances. It is likely that, in addition to the Galois automorphism aspect of the correspondence, there may be a correspondence involving \(p\)-local Schur indices, as Turull has proved in the \(p\)-solvable case.