A conjecture on the hyperfocal subalgebras and normal hyperfocal subgroups (Q517057)

Let \(p\) be a prime, \(G\) a finite group, and \((\mathcal{K}, \mathcal{O}, k)\) a \(p\)-modular system with \(k\) algebraically closed. Let \(b\) be a block of \(G\) over \(\mathcal{O}\). One can then define the hyperfocal subgroup \(Q\) and the hyperfocal subalgebra \(D\). Let \(\text{Irr}(D)\) be the set of representatives of isomorphism classes of simple \(\mathcal{K}\otimes_{\mathcal{O}}D\)-modules and \(\text{Irr}_0(D)\) the subset corresponding to simple modules of \(p'\)-degree. A conjecture of \textit{R. Kessar} et al. [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 143, No. 12, 5129--5138 (2015; Zbl 1344.20013)] states that if \(\mathcal{K}\) is the splitting field of \(D\), then \(\text{Irr}(D)=\text{Irr}_0(D)\) if and only if \(Q\) is abelian. This is known to be true in some cases, e.g. for \(p\)-solvable groups. In the paper under review, it is proved in the case that \(Q\) is normal in \(G\). As a consequence, the conjecture is true if one of the following conditions hold: (1) \(b\) has a normal defect group, or (2) \(b\) and its Brauer correspondent block of \(N_G(Q)\) are Morita equivalent.