Computational aspects of the isomorphism problem (Q4247795)

The paper under review gives a summary of multiple achievements obtained during the years 1990 to 1997 on the question if a group algebra \(RG\) for a finite group \(G\) and various commutative rings \(R\) determines the group \(G\), or at least strong invariants of \(G\). Especially, the paper concentrates on computer calculations and algorithms on this question. Two rings \(R\) are particularly studied here, the integers \(\mathbb{Z}\) and a prime field \(\mathbb{F}_p\) of non-zero characteristic and this for a \(p\)-group \(G\). No proofs are given in the paper. A large bibliography is presented. The first chapter cites the discovery by Roggenkamp and the reviewer of a group \(G\) and an automorphism of \(G\) which is inner in \(RG\) for any semilocal commutative ring \(R\) but which is not inner in \(G\). This part does not use any aid of computers. The second section discusses in quite some detail the computer software SISYPHOS developed by Martin Wursthorn to decide algorithmically whether \(\mathbb{F}_pG\simeq\mathbb{F}_pH\) or not for two different finite \(p\)-groups \(G\) and \(H\). The algorithm uses the filtration of \(\mathbb{F}_pG\) by powers of the radical and checks all possible liftings to higher layers by first and second cohomology computations. The third section reports on work of subsets of the three authors Bleher, Kimmerle and Hiss on work around the thesis of Frauke Bleher. Let \(\alpha\) be an automorphism of \(\mathbb{Z} G\) preserving the augmentation. Looking at the action of \(\alpha\) on ordinary and modular character tables one can answer to the question if \(\alpha\) can be decomposed into an automorphism of \(G\) and conjugation by a unit in \(\mathbb{Q} G\). There are various series of simple finite groups \(G\) where the above question is answered to the affirmative. The next section reports on applications of the ideas in the works presented in the previous section to Iwahori-Hecke algebras. This is due to Bleher, Geck and Kimmerle. The last section is a short summary of corresponding questions on the Burnside ring of \(G\). The question is to determine when a poset automorphism of the subgroup lattice of \(G\) satisfying reasonable compatibility conditions is induced by an automorphism of the Burnside ring. An answer is given in terms of an arithmetical necessary and sufficient condition. The achievements there is work of Kimmerle and Roggenkamp and was simplified by Wursthorn. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0903.00035].