Realizability of two-dimensional linear groups over rings of integers of algebraic number fields. (Q656949)

This paper is concerned with the following problem. Given the ring of integers \(O_K\) of an algebraic number field \(K\) and a positive integer \(n\), does there exist a finite subgroup \(G\) of \(\mathrm{GL}(n,O_K)\) such that \(O_KG=M(n,O_K)\), where \(O_KG\) is the \(O_K\)-span of \(G\)? In this case \(M(n,O_K)\) is a `Schur ring'. The answer is known if \(n\) is an odd prime. This paper is concerned with the case \(n=2\). For a finite subgroup \(G\) of \(\mathrm{GL}(n,O_K)\) it is known that \(O_KG=M(n,O_K)\) if and only if \(G\) is an `absolutely irreducible' subgroup of \(\mathrm{GL}(n,\mathbb C)\), as defined earlier by the second author and A. E. Zalesskii. A complete list of finite absolutely irreducible subgroups of \(\mathrm{GL}(2,\mathbb C)\) is known. The authors obtain a number of partial results by the following method. Starting with a group \(G\) on this list they first describe number fields \(K\) for which \(G\) is conjugate to a subgroup of \(\mathrm{GL}(2,O_K)\) and then for each case determine whether or not \(G\) is conjugate to a subgroup of \(\mathrm{GL}(2,O_K)\). The proofs for the case \(n=2\) involve extra complications. In particular they show that if \(M(2,O_K)\) is a Schur ring as defined above then, for any \(m\), there exists a finite subgroup \(G\) of \(M(2m,O_K)\) such that \(O_KG=M(2m,O_K)\). They also provide some arithmetic properties of finite globally irreducible subgroups of \(\mathrm{GL}(2,\mathbb C)\).