In this paper, I give several characterizations of {\em rational biset functors over $p$-groups}, which are independent of the knowledge of genetic bases for $p$-groups. I also introduce a construction of new biset functors from known ones, which is similar to the Yoneda construction for representable functors, and to the Dress construction for Mackey functors, and I show that this construction preserves the class of rational $p$-biset functors.\par This leads to a characterization of rational $p$-biset functors as additive functors from a specific quotient category of the biset category to abelian groups. Finally, I give a description of the largest rational quotient of the Burnside $p$-biset functor : when $p$ is odd, this is simply the functor $R_\Q$ of rational representations, but when $p=2$, it is a non split extension of $R_\Q$ by a specific uniserial functor, which happens to be closely related to the functor of units of the Burnside ring.
We consider analogs of Jacobson's $F$-Burnside construction and Boltje's $(-)_+$-construction for biset functors, using Mackey-functor theoretic interpretation of biset functors.
In this article, we consider a formulation of biset functors using the 2-category of finite sets with variable finite group actions. We introduce a 2-category $\mathbb{S}$, on which a biset functor can be regarded as a special kind of Mackey functors. This gives an analog of Dress' definition of a Mackey functor, in the context of biset functors.
In the previous article 'A Mackey-functor theoretic interpretation of biset functors', we have constructed the 2-category $\mathbb{S}$ of finite sets with variable finite group actions, in which bicoproducts and bipullbacks exist. As shown in it, biset functors can be regarded as a special class of Mackey functors on $\mathbb{S}$. In this article, we equip $\mathbb{S}$ with a system of adjoint triplets, which satisfies properties analogous to a derivator. This system encodes the six operations for finite groups. As a corollary, we show that the associated Burnside rings satify analogous proper…
In this paper, we describe the induction functor from the category of native Mackey functors to the category of biset functors for a finite group $G$ over an algebraically closed field $k$ of characteristic zero. We prove two applications of this description. As the first application, we exhibit that any projective biset functor over $k$ is induced from a (rational) virtual native Mackey functor. The second application is the explicit description of the projective indecomposable biset functors parameterized by simple groups.
The theory of biset functors, introduced by Serge Bouc, gives a unified treatment of operations in representation theory that are induced by permutation bimodules. In this paper, by considering fibered bisets, we introduce and describe the basic theory of fibered biset functors which is a natural framework for operations induced by monomial bimodules. The main result of this paper is the classification of simple fibered biset functors.
In this article, we propose a concept of anti-involution for Green biset functors and we provide equivalent definitions. We present $\star$-Green biset functors and we study their orthogonal units and the orthogonal automorphisms in their associated categories.
We compare the bicategory of spans with that of bisets (a.k.a. bimodules, distributors, profunctors) in the context of finite groupoids. We construct in particular a well-behaved pseudo-functor from spans to bisets. This yields an application to the axiomatic representation theory of finite groups, namely a new proof and a strengthening of Ganter and Nakaoka's identification of Bouc's category of biset functors as a reflective subcategory of global Mackey functors. To this end, we also prove a tensor-monadicity result for linear functor categories.
Let p be an odd prime number. In this paper, we show that the genome $Γ(P)$ of a finite $p$-group $P$, defined as the direct product of the genotypes of all rational irreducible representations of $P$, can be recovered from the first group of $K$-theory $K_1(\mathbb{Q}P)$. It follows that the assignment $P \to Γ(P)$ is a $p$-biset functor. We give an explicit formula for the action of bisets on $Γ$, in terms of generalized transfers associated to left free bisets. Finally, we show that $Γ$ is a rational $p$-biset functor, i.e. that $Γ$ factors through the Roquette category of finite $p$-groups…
Let R be a (unital) commutative ring, and G be a finite group with order invertible in R. We introduce new idempotents in the double Burnside algebra RB(G,G), indexed by conjugacy classes of minimal sections of G, i.e. pairs (T,S) of subgroups of G, where S is a normal subgroup of T contained in the Frattini subgroup of T. These idempotents are orthogonal, and their sum is equal to the identity. It follows that for any biset functor F over R, the evaluation F (G) splits as a direct sum of specific R-modules indexed by minimal sections of G, up to conjugation. The restriction of these construct…
For any finite group G, we define a bivariant functor from the Dress category of finite G-sets to the conjugation biset category, whose objects are subgroups of G, and whose morphisms are generated by certain bifree bisets. Any additive functor from the conjugation biset category to abelian groups yields a Mackey functor by composition. We characterize the Mackey functors which arise in this way.
This note has two purposes: First, to present a counterexample to a conjecture parametrizing the simple modules over Green biset functors, appearing in an author's previous article. This parametrization fails for the monomial Burnside ring over a cyclic group of order four. Second, to classify the simple modules for the monomial Burnside ring over a group of prime order, for which the above-mentioned parametrization holds.
For a Green biset functor $A$, we define the commutant and the center of $A$ and we study some of their properties and their relationship. This leads in particular to the main application of these constructions: the possibility of splitting the category of $A$-modules as a direct product of smaller abelian categories. We give explicit examples of such decompositions for some classical shifted representation functors. These constructions are inspired by similar ones for Mackey functors for a fixed finite group.
Let $R$ be a commutative unital ring. We construct a category $\mathcal{C}_R$ of fractions $X/G$, where $G$ is a finite group and $X$ is a finite $G$-set, and with morphisms given by $R$-linear combinations of spans of bisets. This category is an additive, symmetric monoidal and self-dual category, with a Krull-Schmidt decomposition for objects. We show that $\mathcal{C}_R$ is equivalent to the additive completion of the biset category and that the category of biset functors over $R$ is equivalent to the category of $R$-linear functors from $\mathcal{C}_R$ to $R$-Mod. We also show that the res…
Let $p$ be a prime number, let $H$ be a finite $p$-group, and let $\mathbb{F}$ be a field of characteristic 0, considered as a trivial $\mathbb{F} \mathrm{Out}(H)$-module. The main result of this paper gives the dimension of the evaluation $S_{H,\mathbb{F}}(G)$ of the simple biset functor $S_{H,\mathbb{F}}$ at an arbitrary finite group $G$. A closely related result is proved in the last section: for each prime number $p$, a Green biset functor $E_p$ is introduced, as a specific quotient of the Burnside functor, and it is shown that the evaluation $E_p(G)$ is a free abelian group of rank equal …
Let G be a finite group and let k be a field. Our purpose is to investigate the simple modules for the double Burnside ring kB(G,G). It turns out that they are evaluations at G of simple biset functors. For a fixed finite group H, we introduce a suitable bilinear form on kB(G,H) and we prove that the quotient of kB(-,H) by the radical of the bilinear form is a semi-simple functor. This allows for a description of the evaluation of simple functors, hence of simple modules for the double Burnside ring.
Let G be a finite group and K be a field of characteristic zero. Our purpose is to investigate the ideals of the slice Burnside functor KΞ. It turns out that they are the subfunctors F of KΞ such that for any finite group G, the evaluation F(G) is an ideal of the algebra KΞ(G). This allows for a determination of the full lattice of ideals of the slice Burnside p-biset functor KΞp.
The classification of simple biset functors is known, but the evaluation of a simple biset functor at a finite group G may be zero. We investigate various situations where this happens, as well as cases where this does not occur. We also prove a closed formula for such an evaluation under some restrictive conditions on G.
For a non-vanishing group, we show that the evaluation functor induces an equivalence between the category of modules over the double Burnside algebra and a certain category of biset functors. Using this equivalence, we deduce that over a field of characteristic zero, the double Burnside algebra of a non-vanishing group is a quasi-hereditary algebra. We also show that the double Burnside algebra over a field is self-injective if and only if it is semisimple.
Let $G$ be a finite group. In [HTW], Hambleton, Taylor and Williams have considered the question of comparing Mackey functors for $G$ and biset functors defined on subgroups of $G$ and bifree bisets as morphisms. This paper proposes a different approach to this problem, from the point of view of various categories of $G$-sets. In particular, the category of fused $G$-sets is introduced, as well its category of spans. The fused Mackey functors for $G$ over a commutative ring $R$ are defined as $R$-linear functors from this ($R$-linearized) category of spans to $R$-modules. They form an abelian …
Let $A$ be an abelian group such that $\mathrm{Hom}(G,A)$ is finite for all finite groups $G$, and let $\mathbb{K}$ be a field of characteristic zero containing roots of unity of all orders equal to finite element orders in $A$. In this paper we prove foundational properties of the $A$-fibered Burnside ring functor $B_{\mathbb{K}}^A$ as an $A$-fibered biset functor over $\mathbb{K}$. This includes the determination of the lattice of subfunctors of $B_{\mathbb{K}}^A$ and the determination of the composition factors of $B_{\mathbb{K}}^A$. The results of the paper extend results of Coşkun and Yıl…
We describe the essential algebra, $\widehat{kB_T}(G)$, of the Burnside biset functor shifted by a group $T$, at a group $G$, in two cases. First, when $G$ and $T$ are both finite abelian groups and $k$ is a field of characteristic $0$. In this case, $\widehat{kB_T}(G)$ is isomorphic to a quotient of the shifted star algebra, which is defined in terms of the subgroups of $G\times G\times T$. The second case is when $G$ and $T$ are any finite groups satisfying $(|G|, |T|)=1$ and $k$ is a commutative unitary ring. In this case, $\widehat{kB_T}(G)$ is isomorphic to a semidirect product of $Out(G)…
In this note I describe the structure of the biset functor $B^\times$ sending a $p$-group $P$ to the group of units of its Burnside ring $B(P)$. In particular, I show that $B^\times$ is a rational biset functor. It follows that if $P$ is a $p$-group, the structure of $B^\times(P)$ can be read from a genetic basis of $P$: the group $B^\times(P)$ is an elementary abelian 2-group of rank equal to the number isomorphism classes of rational irreducible representations of $P$ whose type is trivial, cyclic of order 2, or dihedral.
We introduce {\em Green fields}, as commutative Green biset functors with no non-trivial ideals. We state some of their properties and give examples of known Green biset functors which are Green fields. Among the properties, we prove some criterions ensuring that a Green field is semisimple. Finally, we describe a type of Green field for which its category of modules is equivalent to a category of vector spaces over a field.
We prove that, for any fields $k$ and $\mathbb{F}$ of characteristic $0$ and any finite group $T$, the category of modules over the shifted Green biset functor $(kR_{\mathbb{F}})_T$ is semisimple.
We examine the cokernel of the canonical homomorphism from the trivial source ring of a finite group to the ring of $p$-rational complex characters. We use Boltje and Coşkun's theory of fibered biset functors to determine the structure of the cokernel. An essential tool in the determination of this structure is Bouc's theory of rational $p$-biset functors.
In this short note we investigate some consequences of the vanishing of simple biset functors. As corollary, if there is no non-trivial vanishing of simple biset functors (e.g. if the group is commutative), then we show that the double Burnside algebra is a quasi-hereditary algebra in characteristic zero. In general, this not true without the non-vanishing condition, as over a field of characteristic zero, the double Burnside algebra of the alternating group of degree 5 has infinite global dimension.
Let $B^\times$ be the biset functor over $\mathbb{F}_2$ sending a finite group~$G$ to the group $B^\times(G)$ of units of its Burnside ring $B(G)$, and let $\widehat{B^\times}$ be its dual functor. The main theorem of this paper gives a characterization of the cokernel of the natural injection from $B^\times$ in the dual Burnside functor $\widehat{\mathbb{F}_2B}$, or equivalently, an explicit set of generators $\mathcal{G}_S$ of the kernel $L$ of the natural surjection $\mathbb{F}_2B\to \widehat{B^\times}$. This yields a two terms projective resolution of $\widehat{B^\times}$, leading to some …
We survey several notions of Mackey functors and biset functors found in the literature and prove some old and new theorems comparing them. While little here will surprise the experts, we draw a conceptual and unified picture by making systematic use of finite groupoids. This provides a road map for the various approaches to the axiomatic representation theory of finite groups, as well as some details which are hard to find in writing.
Let p be a prime number. This paper introduces the Roquette category R_p of finite p-groups, which is an additive tensor category containing all finite p-groups among its objects. In R_p, every finite p-group P admits a canonical direct summand, called the edge of P. Moreover P splits uniquely as a direct sum of edges of Roquette p-groups, and the tensor structure of R_p can be described in terms of such edges. The main motivation for considering this category is that the additive functors from R_p to abelian groups are exactly the rational p-biset functors. This yields in particular very effi…
The theory of biset functors developed by Serge Bouc has been instrumental in the study of the unit group of the Burnside ring of a finite group, in particular for the case of p-groups. The ghost ring of the Burnside ring defines an inflation functor, and becomes a useful tool in studying the Burnside ring functor itself. We are interested in studying the unit group of another representation ring: the trivial source ring of a finite group. In this article, we show how the unit groups of the trivial source ring and its associated ghost ring define inflation functors. Since the trivial source ri…
This paper extends the notion of $B$-group to a relative context. For a finite group $K$ and a field $\mathbb{F}$ of characteristic 0, the lattice of ideals of the Green biset functor $\mathbb{F}B_K$ obtained by shifting the Burnside functor $\mathbb{F}B$ by $K$ is described in terms of {\em $B_K$-groups}. It is shown that any finite group $(L,φ)$ over $K$ admits a {\em largest quotient $B_K$-group} $β_K(L,φ)$. The simple subquotients of $\mathbb{F}B_K$ are parametrized by $B_K$-groups, and their evaluations can be precisely determined. Finally, when $p$ is a prime, the restriction $\mathbb{F}…
The Brauer relations of a finite group $G$ are virtual differences of non-isomorphic $G$-sets $X-Y$ which induce isomorphic permutation $G$-representations $\mathbb Q[X]\simeq\mathbb Q[Y]$ over the rationals. These relations have been classified by Tornehave-Bouc and Bartel-Dokchitser. Motivated by stable homotopy theory, a relative version of Brauer relations for $(G,C_p)$-bisets which are $C_p$-free have been classified by Kahn in case $G$ is an elementary Abelian $p$-group. In this paper we extend Kahn's classification to the case when $G$ is a finite Abelian $p$-group.
We analyze the structure of a large class of connected algebraic rings over an algebraically closed field of positive characteristic using Greenberg's perfectization functor. We then give applications to rigidity problems for representations of Chevalley groups, recovering, in particular, a rigidity theorem of Seitz.
We compute the rational stable homology of the automorphism groups of free nilpotent groups. These groups interpolate between the general linear groups over the ring of integers and the automorphism groups of free groups, and we employ functor homology to reduce to the abelian case. As an application, we also compute the rational stable homology of the outer automorphism groups and of the mapping class groups of the associated aspherical nil-manifolds in the TOP, PL, and DIFF categories.
