On generalized characters of nilpotent groups. (Q876413)

Continuing earlier work, the author studies the sum \(\sum_{g\in G^\#}|\Theta(g)|^2\), where \(G\) is a finite group and \(\Theta\) is a generalized character of \(G\) which is not a multiple of the regular character of \(G\). He proves that if \(G\neq 1\) is nilpotent, then a lower bound for the sum is \(|G|-b(G)^2\), where \(b(G)\) is the largest irreducible complex character degree of \(G\). Several consequences from this are drawn, including the following: If \(G\) is a finite group and \(N\leq G\) is nilpotent, then the number of irreducible characters of \(G\) not vanishing identically on \(N^\#\) is bounded above by \(\tfrac{|N|}{|N|-b(N)}(k_N(G)-\tfrac{|G|}{|N|})\), where \(k_N(G)\) is the number of orbits of \(N\) on \(G\) (acting by conjugation). An upper bound on \(k(B)\) for a \(p\)-block \(B\) of \(G\) is also obtained.