On the intersection of principal blocks (Q6975221)

This paper studies the intersection of principal \(p\)-blocks and \(q\)-blocks in finite groups. More precisely, for two primes \(p\) and \(q\) and for a finite group \(G\), let \(B_p(G)\) denote the set of irreducible complex characters of \(G\) lying in the principal \(p\)-block and similarly for \(B_q(G)\). The authors investigate the size of the intersection \(|B_p(G) \cap B_q(G)|\) and in particular they seek to understand when this intersection is trivial (i.e., reduced to the principal character) and how this is related to the local structure of \(G\).\N\NThe paper formulates a natural global/local counting conjecture (Conjecture~A), asserting that if the Sylow \(p\)- and \(q\)-subgroups \(P\) and \(Q\) of \(G\) commute, then the size of the intersection \(|B_p(G) \cap B_q(G)|\) is equal to \(|B_p(N) \cap B_q(N)|\), where \(N = N_G(PQ)\).\N\NThe main result (Theorem~B) establishes Conjecture~A for quasisimple groups, symmetric groups and \(p\)-solvable groups. The authors also verify the conjecture for several families of almost quasisimple groups, including general and unitary linear groups \(\mathrm{GL}_{n}(q)\) and \(\mathrm{GU}_{n}(q)\) for any prime power \(q\) (Theorem 4.2 and Corollary 4.3).