6533b870fe1ef96bd12cf1a3

RESEARCH PRODUCT

p-Blocks relative to a character of a normal subgroup

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Abstract Let G be a finite group, let N ◃ G , and let θ ∈ Irr ( N ) be a G-invariant character. We fix a prime p, and we introduce a canonical partition of Irr ( G | θ ) relative to p. We call each member B θ of this partition a θ-block, and to each θ-block B θ we naturally associate a conjugacy class of p-subgroups of G / N , which we call the θ-defect groups of B θ . If N is trivial, then the θ-blocks are the Brauer p-blocks. Using θ-blocks, we can unify the Gluck–Wolf–Navarro–Tiep theorem and Brauer's Height Zero conjecture in a single statement, which, after work of B. Sambale, turns out to be equivalent to the Height Zero conjecture. We also prove that the k ( B ) -conjecture is true if and only if every θ-block B θ has size less than or equal the size of any of its θ-defect groups, thus bringing normal subgroups to the k ( B ) -conjecture.