On the characteristic map of finite unitary groups. (Q875250)

In his seminal work, \textit{J. A. Green} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 80, 402-447 (1955; Zbl 0068.25605)] described the character theory of the finite general linear group via a characteristic map taking irreducible characters to symmetric functions; this allows an analysis of character theory for the general linear group using combinatorics in the symmetric group. In this paper, the authors describe the analogous set-up for the finite unitary groups \(\text{U}(n,\mathbb{F}_{q^2})\). The key result here is Ennola's conjecture [finally proved by \textit{N. Kawanaka}, Adv. Stud. Pure Math. 6, 175-206 (1985; Zbl 0573.20038)], which roughly says that one can deduce the representation theory of \(\text{U}(n,\mathbb{F}_{q^2})\) from that of \(\text{GL}(n,\mathbb{F}_q)\) by substituting `\(-q\)' for every instance of `\(q\)'. The authors look at this conjecture from two perspectives, by considering two multiplicative structures on \(C\), the character ring of \(\text{U}(n,\mathbb{F}_{q^2})\). The first was defined by \textit{V. Ennola} himself [Ann. Acad. Sci. Fenn., Ser. A I 313, 13 p. (1962; Zbl 0105.02403) and ibid. 323, 35 p. (1963; Zbl 0109.26001)], and the second uses Deligne-Lusztig induction [see \textit{F. Digne} and \textit{J. Michel}, J. Algebra 107, 217-255 (1987; Zbl 0622.20034)]. One of the main results of the paper is that these two structures coincide, which allows the authors to switch between the two products as convenience demands. In the remainder of the paper, the authors continue the theme of adapting the theory for the general linear group to the unitary group. First, they calculate the degrees of the irreducible characters and some sums of character degrees. They then adapt a model for the general linear group to the unitary group.