Standard integral table algebras generated by a non-real element of small degree (Q5955192)

A table algebra is a finite-dimensional associative and commutative algebra over the complex field \(\mathbb{C}\) with a distinguished basis \(B=\{b_1=1,b_2,\dots,b_n\}\) such that: (1) For all \(i,j,m\) we have \(b_ib_j=\sum\beta_{ijm}b_m\) where \(\beta_{ijm}\) are nonnegative real numbers which are called the structure constants of the algebra. (2) There is an automorphism of \(A\), denoted by \(-\), whose order divides \(2\) with the property that if \(b_i\in B\), then \(\overline b_i\in B\). In this case \(\overline i\) is defined by \(b_{\overline i}=\overline b_i\) and \(b_i\) is called real if \(\overline b_i=b_i\). (3) For all \(i,j\) we have \(\beta_{ij1}\neq 0\Leftrightarrow j=\overline i\). Two well-known examples of table algebras relating to a finite group \(G\) are as follows: One is the center of the group algebra \(\mathbb{C} G\) with basis elements being the class sum of each conjugacy class, and the other is the algebra of class functions \(\text{cf}(G,\mathbb{C})\) with basis elements being the irreducible complex characters of \(G\). In both of these algebras there is an algebra homomorphism from \(Z(\mathbb{C} G)\) (or \(\text{cf}(G,\mathbb{C})\)) to \(\mathbb{C}\) with definition \(f(\sum_{x\in K}x)=|\text{class}(x)|\) (\(f(\chi_i)=\chi_i(1)\)), where \(K\) is a conjugacy class in \(G\) and \(|\text{class}(x)|\) is the size of conjugacy class containing \(x\in G\) and \(\chi_i\) is an irreducible complex character of \(G\). Moreover, for both of these table algebras all the structure constants and all values of \(f\) are integers. In general it is proved by \textit{Z. Arad} and \textit{H. I. Blau} [J. Algebra 138, No. 1, 137-185 (1991; Zbl 0790.20015)] that if \(A\) is a table algebra, then there is an algebra homomorphism \(f\colon A\to\mathbb{C}\) such that \(f(b_i)=f(\overline b_i)\in\mathbb{R}^+\) for all \(i\), \(1\leq i\leq n\), where \(\mathbb{R}^+\) denotes the set of positive real numbers. In this case the positive real numbers \(f(b_i)\), \(1\leq i\leq n\), are called the degrees of the algebra. In this way we are led to define an integral table algebra, abbreviated ITA, to be a table algebra \((A,B)\) such that all the structure constants \(\beta_{ijm}\) and all the degrees \(f(b_i)\) being rational integers. Here we introduce some terminology concerning a table algebra \((A,B)\). A table algebra \((A,B)\) is called homogeneous of degree \(\lambda\) if and only if \(|\beta|\geq 2\) and for some fixed \(\lambda\in\mathbb{R}^+\), \(f(b)=\lambda\) for all \(b\in B-\{1\}\). In the case that \((A,B)\) is ITA and homogeneous it is abbreviated by HITA. Since \(B\) is basis for \(A\), hence every \(x\in A\) can be written as \(x=\sum^n_{i=1}\lambda_ib_i\) where \(\lambda_i\in\mathbb{C}\). The set of all \(\lambda_i>0\) is called the support of \(x\) and is denoted by \(\text{supp}_B(x)\). For \(c\in B\), we define \(B_c=\bigcup^\infty_{k=1}\text{supp}_B(c^n)\) and if \(B_c=B\), then \(c\) is called a faithful element of \(B\). If the function \(f\) is such that \(f(b)=\beta_{b\overline b1}\) for all \(b\in B\), then \(B\) is called standard. If \((A,B)\) is an ITA with \(B\) standard, then it is called a standard integral table algebra, SITA for short. Classification of integral table algebras is an important research problem. The degrees of an ITA is a natural parameter which may be used for classification of ITA. Homogeneous integral table algebras of degree \(1\) were classified by \textit{Z. Arad} and \textit{H. I. Blau} [loc. cit.]. The classification of HITAs of degree \(2\) with a faithful element was obtained by \textit{H. Blau} [in Algebra Colloq. 4, No. 4, 393-408 (1997; Zbl 0894.20004)]. A complete classification of the HITAs of degree \(3\) with a faithful element provided that the algebra does not contain linear elements was obtained by \textit{Z. Arad}, \textit{H. I. Blau}, \textit{E. Fisman}, \textit{V. Miloslavsky}, \textit{M. Muzychuk} and \textit{B. Xu} [Homogeneous integral table algebras of degree three: A trilogy, Mem. Am. Math. Soc. 684 (2000; Zbl 0958.20010)]. Since every element of a table algebra is contained in the unique subalgebra generated by this element, hence it is natural to study table algebras generated by a single element. The full classification of the HITAs of degrees \(4\) or \(5\) is another research problem. In the book under review the authors continue their research about the standard integral table algebras (SITA) generated by a non-real element of degree \(4\) or \(5\). We remark that in [Beitr. Algebra Geom. 41, No. 1, 33-47 (2000; Zbl 0964.20005)], \textit{M.-R. Darafsheh} and \textit{A. Rahnamai Barghi} attempted to classify standard HITAs of degree \(5\) under the additional condition that the basis set contains a faithful element of width \(3\). We recall that the width of an element \(b\in B\) is defined to be the support of \(b\overline b\). The book under review contains 5 chapters which are contributed by several authors. Chapter 1 is introductory and is written by \textit{Z. Arad} and \textit{M. Muzychuk} describing all the concepts needed to study table algebras. Chapter two is written by \textit{Z. Arad}, \textit{M. Muzychuk}, \textit{H. Arisha} and \textit{E. Fisman} and deals with SITAs containing a faithful non-real element of degree \(4\). Chapter three is written by \textit{Z. Arad}, \textit{F. Bunger}, \textit{E. Fisman} and \textit{M. Muzychuk} and deals with SITAs with a faithful non-real element of degree \(5\). Chapter four is written by \textit{F. Bunger} and studies SITAs with a faithful real element of degree \(5\) and width 3. Finally, in chapter five which is written by \textit{M. Hirasaka}, primitive commutative association schemes which contain a connected non-symmetric relation of valency 3 or 4 are classified. This chapter may be viewed as an application of abstraction of Bose-Mesner algebras to ITAs. In this book for all the known SITAs which are generated by a non-real element of degree \(k\), the degrees of all basis elements are bounded by a function of \(k\). This observation leads the authors to make the following conjecture: If a SITA is generated by a non-real element of degree \(k\), then there is a function \(f\colon\mathbb{N}\to\mathbb{N}\), such that the degrees of all the basis elements of bounded by \(f(k)\). Here \(\mathbb{N}\) denotes the set of all the natural numbers.