On a question of Külshammer for representations of finite groups in reductive groups (Q312284)

Let \(G\) be a linear algebraic group over an algebraically closed field \(k\) of characteristic \(p>0\), let \(\Gamma\) be a finite group with Sylow \(p\)-subgroup \(\Gamma_p\), and let \(\sigma: \Gamma_p \longrightarrow G\) be a homomorphism. Motivated by the example \(G = \mathrm{GL}_n(k)\), the reviewer had asked whether there are always only finitely many \(G\)-conjugacy classes of homomorphisms \(\Gamma \longrightarrow G\) containing an extension of \(\sigma\). A number of positive partial results were given in a paper by \textit{P. Slodowy} [in: Algebraic groups and Lie groups. A volume of papers in honour of the late R. W. Richardson. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 331--345; appendix: 346--348 (1997; Zbl 0874.22011)], but also a (non-connected non-reductive) counterexample was constructed by Cram in an appendix to Slodowy's paper. Here, the authors construct a counterexample where \(G\) is the simple algebraic group of type \(G_2\), \(\Gamma\) is the direct product of a dihedral group with a group of order 2, and \(p=2\) (a bad prime for \(G\)). From this, they show that there is a connected unipotent algebraic group \(V\) such that the restriction map in (non-abelian) 1-cohomology \(\text{H}^1(\Gamma,V) \longrightarrow \text{H}^1(\Gamma_p,V)\) has an infinite fibre.