Crossed Burnside rings. I: The fundamental theorem (Q5929441)

The paper deals with a generalization of the classical Burnside rings [see \textit{A. W. M. Dress}, Lect. Notes Math. 352, 182-240 (1975)] \(\Omega (G)\) of a finite group \(G\) by introducing an additional structure called ``weight function''. Let \(S\) be a finite \(G\)-monoid. A finite \(G\)-set \(X\) together with a fixed \(G\)-map \(X\to S\) is called a crossed \(G\)-set. The Grothendieck ring generated by the set of all finite crossed \(G\)-sets with respect to disjoint union and tensor products is called the crossed Burnside ring \(X\Omega (G,S)\) of the finite group \(G\) over \(S\). There are several natural examples of crossed Burnside rings in important categories and that quite justifies the study of these rings. In this first of a series (according to the authors) of papers, the following basic result is proved: Let \(X\overline{\Omega} (G,S)\) denote the crossed ghost ring of the group \(G\) over \(S\). Then there is an exact sequence of abelian groups \[ 0\rightarrow X\Omega (G,S) @ > \varphi >> X\overline{\Omega }(G,S) @ > \psi >> X \operatorname {Obs}(G,S)\rightarrow 0, \] where \(\varphi\) is the Burnside homomorphism. This shows, in particular, that the Burnside homomorphism is injective and has a finite cokernel. The authors prove the above fundamental theorem for \(p\)-local and \(p\)-modular crossed Burnside rings. In addition, they also provide an idempotent formula at characteristic zero when the \(G\)-monoid \(S\) is a normal subgroup of \(G\) and \(G\) is acting on \(S\) by conjugation. Illustrative examples of multiplication tables of crossed Burnside rings for several familiar groups are also included.