Let $G$ be a connected reductive group over $F_q$, where $q$ is large enough and the center of $G$ is connected. We are concerned with Lusztig's theory of {\em character sheaves}, a geometric version of the classical character theory of the finite group $G(F_q)$. We show that under a certain technical condition, the restriction of a character sheaf to its {\em unipotent support} (as defined by Lusztig) is either zero or an irreducible local system. As an application, the generalized Gelfand-Graev characters are shown to form a $\Z$-basis of the $\Z$-module of unipotently supported virtual characters of $G(F_q)$ (Kawanaka's conjecture).
Let G be a reductive connected group over the algebraic closure of a finite field. In this paper we give the classification of character sheaves on G in categorical terms (as a categorical centre). Previously such a classification was known for unipotent character sheaves and also in the case where the ground field is replaced by the complex numbers.
With a view to determining character values of finite reductive groups at unipotent elements, we prove a number of results concerning inner products of generalised Gelfand-Graev characters with characteristic functions of character sheaves, here called Lusztig functions. These are used to determine projections of generalised Gelfand-Graev characters to the space of unipo- tent characters, and to the space of characters with a given wave front set. Such projections are expressed largely in terms of Weyl group data. We show how the values of characters at their unipotent support or wave front se…
Let G be a simple adjoint group and let K=k((ε)) where k is an algebraic closure of a finite field F_q. In this paper we define some geometric objects on G(K) which are similar to the (cohomology sheaves of) the unipotent character sheaves on G(k). Using these geometric objects we define the unipotent almost characters of G(K_0) where K_0=F_q((ε)) and state some conjectures relating them to the characters of unipotent representations of G(K_0).
Assume $\mathbf{G}$ is a connected reductive algebraic group defined over an algebraic closure $\mathbb{K} = \overline{\mathbb{F}}_p$ of the finite field of prime order $p>0$. Furthermore, assume that $F : \mathbf{G} \to \mathbf{G}$ is a Frobenius endomorphism of $\mathbf{G}$. In this article we give a formula for the value of any $F$-stable character sheaf of $\mathbf{G}$ at a unipotent element. This formula is expressed in terms of class functions of $\mathbf{G}^F$ which are supported on a single unipotent class of $\mathbf{G}$. In general these functions are not determined, however we give …
Let $\mathtt{k}$ be an algebraic closure of a finite field $\mathbb{F}_{q}$ of characteristic $p$. Let $G$ be a connected unipotent group over $\mathtt{k}$ equipped with an $\mathbb{F}_q$-structure given by a Frobenius map $F:G\to G$. We will denote the corresponding algebraic group defined over $\mathbb{F}_q$ by $G_0$. Character sheaves on $G$ are certain objects in the triangulated braided monoidal category $\mathscr{D}_G(G)$ of bounded conjugation equivariant $\bar{\mathbb{Q}}_l$-complexes (where $l\neq p$ is a prime number) on $G$. Boyarchenko has proved that the "trace of Frobenius" funct…
In this paper, we extend the notion of Shintani descent to general (possibly disconnected) algebraic groups defined over a finite field $\mathbb{F}_q$. For this, it is essential to treat all the pure inner $\mathbb{F}_q$-rational forms of the algebraic group at the same time. We prove that the notion of almost characters (introduced by T. Shoji using Shintani descent) is well defined for any neutrally unipotent algebraic group, i.e. an algebraic group whose neutral connected component is a unipotent group. We also prove that these almost characters coincide with the "trace of Frobenius" functi…
Let $G$ be a finite group of Lie type. In order to determine the character table of $G$, Lusztig developed the theory of character sheaves. In this framework, one has to find the transformation between two bases for the space of class functions on $G$, one of them being the irreducible characters of $G$, the other one consisting of characteristic functions associated to character sheaves. In principle, this has been achieved by Lusztig and Shoji, but the underlying process involves some scalars which are still unknown in many cases. The problem of specifying these scalars can be reduced to con…
Let G be a connected reductive group defined over a finite field F_q. We give a parametrization of the irreducible representations of G(F_q) in terms of (twisted) categorical centres of various monoidal categories associated to G. (Results of this type were known earlier for unipotent representations. Analogous results for the parametrization of character sheaves on G were also known earlier.)
Let H be a Hecke algebra arising as an endomorphism algebra of the representation of a Chevalley group G over F_q induced by a unipotent cuspidal representation of a Levi quotient L of a parabolic subgroup. We assume that L is not a torus. In this paper we outline a geometric interpretation of the coefficients of the canonical basis of H in terms of perverse sheaves. We illustrate this in detail in the case where the Weyl group of G is of type B_4 and that of L is of type B_2.
Let $G(q)$ be a Chevalley group over a finite field $F_q$. By Lusztig's and Shoji's work, the problem of computing the values of the unipotent characters of $G(q)$ is solved, in principle, by the theory of character sheaves; one issue in this solution is the determination of certain scalars relating two types of class functions on $G(q)$. We show that this issue can be reduced to the case where $q$ is a prime, which opens the way to use computer algebra methods. Here, and in a sequel to this article, we use this approach to solve a number of cases in groups of exceptional type which seemed hit…
This paper begins the project of defining Arthur packets of all unipotent representations for the $p$-adic exceptional group $G_2$. Here we treat the most interesting case by defining and computing Arthur packets with component group $S_3$. We also show that the distributions attached to these packets are stable, subject to a hypothesis. This is done using a self-contained microlocal analysis of simple equivariant perverse sheaves on the moduli space of homogeneous cubics in two variables. In forthcoming work we will treat the remaining unipotent representations and their endoscopic classifica…
Let $G$ be a finite Chevalley group. We are concerned with computing the values of the unipotent characters of $G$ by making use of Lusztig's theory of character sheaves. In this framework, one has to find the transformation between several bases for the class functions on $G$. In principle, this has been achieved by Lusztig and Shoji, but the underlying process involves some scalars which are still unknown in many cases. We shall determine these scalars in the specific case where $G$ is the (twisted or non-twisted) group of type $E_6$ over the finite field with $q$ elements, for $q$ a power o…
Let $G$ be a reductive group over a finite field with a maximal unipotent subgroup $U$, we consider certain sheaves on $G/U$ defined by Kazhdan and Laumon and show that their cohomology produces the cohomology of the Deligne-Lusztig varieties. We then use this comparison to give a new proof of a result of Dudas.
For a split reductive group $G$ over a finite field, we show that the neutral block of its mixed Hecke category with a fixed monodromy under the torus action is monoidally equivalent to the mixed Hecke category of the corresponding endoscopic group $H$ with trivial monodromy. We also extend this equivalence to all blocks. We give two applications. One is a relationship between character sheaves on $G$ with a fixed semisimple parameter and unipotent character sheaves on the endoscopic group $H$, after passing to asymptotic versions. The other is a similar relationship between representations of…
We discuss various computational issues around the problem of determining the character values of finite Chevalley groups, in the framework provided by Lusztig's theory of character sheaves. Some of the remaining open questions (concerning certain roots of unity) for the cuspidal unipotent character sheaves of groups of exceptional type are resolved.
We show the existence of a unitriangular basic set for unipotent blocks simple reductive groups of classical type in bad characteristic with some exceptions. Then,we introduce an algorithm to count irreducible unipotent Brauer characters and we verify that this algorithm is effective for exceptional adjoint groups.
Recently, a strong exponential character bound has been established in [3] for all elements $g \in \mathbf{G}^F$ of a finite reductive group $\mathbf{G}^F$ which satisfy the condition that the centraliser $C_{\mathbf{G}}(g)$ is contained in a $(\mathbf{G},F)$-split Levi subgroup $\mathbf{M}$ of $\mathbf{G}$ and that $\mathbf{G}$ is defined over a field of good characteristic. In this paper, assuming a weak version of Lusztig's conjecture relating irreducible characters and characteristic functions of character sheaves holds, we considerably generalize this result by removing the condition that…
In this paper we give a complete description of the Howe correspondence of unipotent characters for a finite dual pair of a symplectic group and an even orthogonal group in terms of the Lusztig parametrization under a mild restriction of the characteristic of the base field. That is, the conjecture by Aubert-Michel-Rouquier is confirmed.
We show that the definition of unipotent (resp. nilpotent) pieces for classical groups given by Lusztig (resp. Lusztig and the author) coincides with the combinatorial definition using closure relations on unipotent classes (resp. nilpotent orbits). Moreover we give a closed formula for a map from the set of unipotent classes (resp. nilpotent orbits) in characteristic 2 to the set of unipotent classes in characteristic 0 such that the fibers are the unipotent (resp. nilpotent) pieces.
