Clifford's theorem for orbit categories (Q6159705)

Clifford theory for finite groups links the representation theory of a normal subgroup \(N\) of \(G\) to the representation theory of \(G\). It is well known that large parts of the classical theory does not depend on the coefficient domain \(R\). The crucial part is the notion of the inertia group \(I_{G}\left(M\right)\) of an indecomposable \(RN\)-module, which is defined as the subgroup of formed by those elements \(g\in G\), such that the twisted \(RN\)-module \(^{g}M\) is isomorphic to as an \(RN\)-module. The most elementary part of the theory shows that for any indecomposable direct factor \(M_{0}\) of the induced \(RI_{G}\left(M\right)\)-module \(M\uparrow_{N}^{I_{G}\left(M\right)}\) we get that \(M_{0}\uparrow_N^{I_{G}\left(M\right)}\) is indecomposable. A Krull-Schmidt situation is really natural and indeed necessary for this statement. This paper uses arguments from Clifford theory of finite group representation to answer the question what is the decomposition of the image of indecomposable objects in the orbit category. Orbit categories tend to be non idempotent complete, so that one needs to consider the Karoubi envelope of the orbit categories. The author appeals to the Kleisli adjunction of a monad to give an analogue of Clifford's theory of orbit categories. This paper can be seen as a continuation of the author's [Southeast Asian Bull. Math. 45, No. 3, 409--427 (2021; Zbl 1488.18012); Pac. J. Math. 308, No. 2, 473--509 (2020; Zbl 1506.16010)] on a categorical framework for Green correspondence for adjoint functors. Clifford theory and Green correspondence are two of the main building blocks of modular representation theory of finite groups. \textit{M. Auslander} and \textit{M. Kleiner} [Adv. Math. 104, No. 2, 297--314 (1994; Zbl 0807.20009)] showed that classical Green correspondence is to be formulated and proved as a property of a pair of adjoint functors between additive categories, which was then put in the framework of triangulated categories [\textit{A. Zimmermann}, Southeast Asian Bull. Math. 45, No. 3, 409--427 (2021; Zbl 1488.18012); Pac. J. Math. 308, No. 2, 473--509 (2020; Zbl 1506.16010)]. Alternative approaches were given by [\textit{D. J. Benson} and \textit{W. W. Wheeler} [J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 63, No. 1, 69--82 (2001; Zbl 1047.20010); \textit{J. F. Carlson} (ed.) et al., Geometric and topological aspects of the representation theory of finite groups. PIMS summer school and workshop, Vancouver, Canada, July 27 -- August 5, 2016. Cham: Springer; Vancouver: Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (2018; Zbl 1410.20001), 25--49; \textit{J. F. Carlson} et al., J. Algebra 204, No. 1, 286--311 (1998; Zbl 0916.20004); \textit{M. Grime}, Commun. Algebra 36, No. 10, 3589--3607 (2008; Zbl 1157.18009); \textit{L. Wang} and \textit{J. Zhang}, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 222, No. 9, 2703--2717 (2018; Zbl 1397.20025)]. Another different approach was given in [\textit{P. Balmer} and \textit{I. Dell'Ambrogio}, Math. Ann. 379, No. 3--4, 1315--1342 (2021; Zbl 07335449)] in the context of tensor triangulated categories and Mackey \(2\)-functors. This paper starts with a Krull-Schmidt category \(\mathcal{H}\)\ on which a finite group \(\Gamma\) acts. The orbit category \(\mathcal{G}=\mathcal{H}\left[\Gamma\right]\) is then actually the Kleisli construction of the corresponding monad, providing a paiar of adjoint functors \[ \mathcal{H} \begin{array} [c]{c} \overset{S}{\longrightarrow}\\ \underset{T}{\longleftarrow} \end{array} \mathcal{G} \] such that \(TS=\bigoplus_{i\in I}E_{i}\)\ is the direct sum of automorphisms \(E_{i}\) of \(\mathcal{H}\), which forms the group \(\Gamma\). The inertia group in the group algebra situation is replaced by the orbit category \(\mathcal{H}\left[\Gamma_{M}\right]\) with respect to the subgroup \(\Gamma_{M}\) of those elements of \(\Gamma\) which fix the isomorphism class of a given object \(M\). It is shown that \(\Gamma\) lifts to a group of automorphisms of \(\mathcal{G}\) and of \(\mathcal{H}\left[\Gamma_{M}\right]\). By replacing \(\mathcal{G}\)\ and of \(\mathcal{H}\left[\Gamma_{M}\right]\) with their Karoubi envelope, a precise analogue of Clifford's theorem obtains, which is the main result Theorem 5.11.