Support varieties for transporter category algebras. (Q392477)

Let \(G\) be a finite group, \(\mathcal P\) be a finite \(G\)-poset, and \(k\) be an algebraically closed field of prime characteristic \(p\) (with \(p\) usually assumed to divide the order of the group). Associated to \(G\) and \(\mathcal P\), one defines a transporter category \(G\propto\mathcal P\) via the Grothendieck construction. The objects correspond to objects in \(\mathcal P\) and the morphisms correspond to pairs \((g,gx\leq y)\) where \(g\in G\), \(x\) and \(y\) are objects in \(\mathcal P\), and \(\leq\) denotes the order relation in \(\mathcal P\). As a finite category, one can associate to \(G\propto\mathcal P\) a category algebra \(k(G\propto\mathcal P)\), over which one can consider modules and cohomology. In the case that \(\mathcal P\) consists of a single point, one simply recovers the group algebra: \(k(G\propto\bullet)\cong kG\). The Ext-algebra \(\text{Ext}^*_{k(G\propto\mathcal P)}(\underline k,\underline k)\) is a graded commutative, Noetherian ring, where \(\underline k\) denotes the trivial \(k(G\propto\mathcal P)\)-module (which is usually assumed to be indecomposable). Further, for any finitely generated \(k(G\propto\mathcal P)\)-modules \(\mathcal M\) and \(\mathcal N\), \(\text{Ext}^*_{k(G\propto\mathcal P)}(\mathcal M,\mathcal N)\) is a finitely generated module over \(\text{Ext}^*_{k(G\propto\mathcal P)}(\underline k,\underline k)\). This allows one to define cohomological support varieties in a manner completely analogous to that for finite groups. Note that \(\text{Ext}^*_{k(G\propto\mathcal P)}(\underline k,\underline k)\) may be identified with the equivariant cohomology ring \(\text{H}^*_G(B\mathcal P,k)=\text{H}^*(EG\times_GB\mathcal P,k)\). The focus of this paper is the development of a support variety theory in this setting. The author shows that the standard properties of support varieties hold, including some of the more ``non-trivial'' ones such as on the relationship between varieties for \(H\propto\mathcal P\) and \(G\propto\mathcal G\) for a subgroup \(H\) of \(G\), as well as the tensor product property (for \(k(G\propto\mathcal P)\)-modules that arise by restriction from \(kG\)-modules). Further, the author obtains a Quillen stratification theorem for support varieties by introducing the notion of a ``Quillen pair'' which consists of an elementary abelian \(p\)-subgroup \(E\) along with a connected subposet of \(\mathcal P^E\). The author briefly reviews the classical theory of support varieties for finite groups and also discusses relevant offshoots including a theory of support varieties for blocks of group algebras developed by \textit{M. Linckelmann} [J. Algebra 215, No. 2, 460-480 (1999; Zbl 0960.20008)] and a theory of support varieties for somewhat general finite dimensional algebras using Hochschild cohomology developed by \textit{N. Snashall} and \textit{Ø. Solberg} [Proc. Lond. Math. Soc., III. Ser. 88, No. 3, 705-732 (2004; Zbl 1067.16010)]. \textit{M. Linckelmann} [J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 81, No. 2, 389-411 (2010; Zbl 1201.20005)] later showed that these two approaches agreed in the case of blocks of group algebras. The author observes that the theory of Snashall and Solberg can be applied to a block of a transporter category algebra, with a number of standard properties immediately following.