On the decomposition numbers of the finite unitary groups in non-defining characteristic (Q923719)

Using results obtained by \textit{P. Fong} and \textit{B. Srinivasan} [Invent. Math. 69, 109-153 (1982; Zbl 0507.20007)] and some joint work with \textit{G. D. James} [Proc. Lond. Math. Soc., III. Ser. 52, 20-52 (1986; Zbl 0587.20007)], \textit{R. Dipper} has shown [in Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 290, 315-344 and 292, 123-133 (1985; Zbl 0576.20005 and Zbl 0579.20008)] that the r-modular decomposition matrices of the finite general linear groups \(GL_ n(q)\) are lower unitriangular for all primes r not dividing q. In this paper, we prove a similar result for the finite unitary groups \(U_ n(q^ 2)\) (and once more Dipper's result). Our approach is first to define a suitable ordering on the irreducible characters and then to use \textit{N. Kawanaka}'s generalized Gelfand-Graev characters [Proc. Symp. Pure Math. 47, 147-163 (1987; Zbl 0654.20046)], which provide a basic set of projective characters for each r-block. These methods are based on the general theory of finite groups of Lie type, so that they might be applied to other groups as well.