No label defined (Q4353313)

Let \(G=\text{GL}_n(q)\) be the general linear group over the finite field \({\mathbf F}_q\) with \(q\) elements and \(V:={\mathbf F}^n_q\). Let \(S=S_n\) be the symmetric group on \({\mathbf n}:=\{1,2,\dots,n\}\). For each partition \(\lambda=(\lambda_1,\lambda_2,\dots,\lambda_k)\) of \(n\), a \(\lambda\)-flag in \(V\) is a chain \(V_1\subset V_2\subset\dots\subset V_k=V\) of subspaces with \(\dim V_i=\sum^i_{j=1}\lambda_j\). The group \(G\) acts on the set of \(\lambda\)-flags by permuting them transitively; the corresponding permutation character is denoted by \(\chi_\lambda\) and is called a geometric character. Its irreducible constituents form the so called `unipotent characters' of \(G\). In a similar way, a \(\lambda\)-flag in \(\mathbf n\) is a chain \(X_1\subset X_2\subset\dots\subset X_k={\mathbf n}\) of subsets with \(|X_i|=\sum^i_{j=1}\lambda_j\); again \(S\) permutes the \(\lambda\)-flags transitively with corresponding permutation character \(\phi_\lambda\). Due to a theorem of Steinberg, the decomposition pattern into irreducible \(G\) or \(S\)-characters is the same for \(\chi_\lambda\) and \(\phi_\lambda\). This fact is used in the present paper to decompose explicitly the geometric characters of \(G\) for all partitions of the form \(\lambda=(n-k,\mu)\) with \(\mu\) a partition of \(k\) and \(k=1,2,3\) and 4. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0867.00022].