Squares of characters and finite groups. (Q875919)

Let \(G\) be a finite group and let \(\chi\in\text{Irr}(G)\). In this note the number \(\eta(\chi)\) of nonprincipal irreducible constituents of \(\chi^2\) is studied under certain hypotheses. For example, it is proved that (1) if \(G\) is supersolvable and \(\chi(1)=2^n\) for some \(n>0\), then \(\eta(\chi^2)>1\), and (2) if \(G\) is nilpotent and \(\chi(1)=p\) for an odd prime \(p\), then \(\eta(\chi^2)\in\{1,\tfrac{p+1}2\}\) and some more detailed information on \(\chi^2\) is given.