Frame-shapes and rational characters of finite groups (Q799789)

Let G be a finite group and M a finite-dimensional \({\mathbb{C}}G\)-module whose character \(\chi\) is rational-valued. Identifying group elements g with the corresponding linear transformations on M, one has an equation of the form \(\det (1-tg)=\prod^{N}_{1}(1-t^ i)^{d_ i},\) where \(N=\dim M\) and the \(d_ i\) are integers which depend on g. Given \(f(t)\in {\mathbb{Z}}[[t]],\) set \(f_ g(t)=\prod^{N}_{1}f(t^ i)^{d_ i}=\sum^{\infty}_{0}\theta_ j(g)t^ j;\) the functions \(\theta_ j\) are evidently class functions on G. The author proves that: (1) if M is a permutation module, then each \(\theta_ j\) is a \({\mathbb{Z}}\)-linear combination of characters of permutation modules; (2) if the constant term of f(t) is 1, then each \(\theta_ j\) is a \({\mathbb{Z}}\)-linear combination of rational characters. The essential point in proving (2) is that f(t) has a product representation \(\prod^{\infty}_{1}(1-t^ k)^{n_ k}\), whence \(f_ g(t)=\prod^{\infty}_{1}\det (1-t^ kg)^{n_ k}.\) The proof of (1) is quite different and rests on a theorem of G. Pólya in enumerative graph theory. As an application of (2), the author takes G to be the Conway group \(\cdot 0\), M to be the rational G-module induced by the Leech lattice and f(t) to be \(\eta (t)^{\pm 1}\), where \(\eta (t)=\prod^{\infty}_{1}(1-t^ k).\) A little further juggling produces series of rational characters related to the ''moonshine'' properties of the monster group considered by \textit{J. H. Conway} and \textit{S. P. Norton} [Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 11, 308-339 (1979; Zbl 0424.20010)].