The representation dimension of Hecke algebras and symmetric groups. (Q643444)

The notion of the representation dimension of a finite-dimensional algebra \(\Lambda\) was introduced by \textit{M. Auslander} [in Representation dimension of Artin algebras. Queen Mary College Mathematics Notes. London: Queen Mary College (1971; Zbl 0331.16026)] as a way to measure how far \(\Lambda\) is from having finite representation type. The representation dimension of \(\Lambda\) is defined to the infimum of the global dimensions of the endomorphism algebras \(\text{End}_\Lambda(M)\) where \(M\) is a finitely generated \(\Lambda\)-module that is both a generator and co-generator for the additive category of finitely generated \(\Lambda\)-modules. (Recall that the global dimension of an algebra \(\Gamma\) is the supremum of the lengths of the minimum projective resolutions of the finitely generated \(\Gamma\)-modules.) Auslander showed that a non-semisimple algebra has finite representation type if and only if its representation dimension is \(2\), and that it has infinite type if and only if its representation dimension is at least \(3\). Later \textit{O. Iyama} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 131, No. 4, 1011-1014 (2003; Zbl 1018.16010)] showed that the representation dimension of a finite-dimensional algebra is always finite, and \textit{R. Rouquier} [Invent. Math. 165, No. 2, 357-367 (2006; Zbl 1101.18006)] showed that representation dimension could take arbitrary large values. The paper under review gives bounds on the representation dimension of the classical Hecke algebras \(\mathcal H_q(A_{n-1})\), \(\mathcal H_q(B_n)\) and \(\mathcal H_q(D_n)\), where \(q\) is a primitive \(\ell\)-th root of unity, and the ground field has characteristic \(0\). Assume that \(n\geq\ell\), so these algebras are not semisimple. Then the bounds are \[ \lfloor n/\ell\rfloor+1\leq\text{repdim\,}\mathcal H_q(A_{n-1})\leq 2\lfloor n/\ell\rfloor \] and \[ \lfloor n/\ell\rfloor+1\leq\text{repdim\,}A \] if \(A\) is either \(\mathcal H_q(B_n)\) or \(\mathcal H_q(D_n)\). An upper bound on the representation dimensions of \(\mathcal H_q(B_n)\) and \(\mathcal H_q(D_n)\) is also proved in certain cases. Analogous bounds are proved for the representation dimension of the symmetric group algebra \(kS_n\) where \(k\) is a field of prime characteristic \(p\) and \(n<p^2\).