A combinatorial formula for the Wedderburn decomposition of rational group algebras of split metacyclic \(p\)-groups (Q7239058)

For an odd prime \(p\), the authors consider a finite non-abelian split metacyclic \(p\)-group \(G=\big \langle a,b\; | \; a^{p^n}=b^{p^m}=1,\ bab^{-1}=a^r \big\rangle\), where \(n\geq 2\), \(m\geq 1\), \((r,p^n)=1\), and \(r\) has multiplicative order \(p^s\) modulo \(p^n\) with \(1\leq s\leq \min\{n-1,m\}\). Theorem 1 gives a case-by-case combinatorial formula for the Wedderburn decomposition of \(\mathbb{Q}G\), expressed in terms of the numerical data \(n,m,r,s\). The decomposition is written as a direct sum of cyclotomic fields and full matrix algebras over cyclotomic fields.\N\NThe authors first describe the irreducible complex representations of \(G\) by using the Wigner-Mackey method of little groups. They then determine the corresponding rational representations through Galois conjugacy over \(\mathbb{Q}\) and the Schur index over \(\mathbb{Q}\). In this framework, Theorem 13 gives a combinatorial formula for the number of inequivalent irreducible rational representations of \(G\) of each distinct degree.