Equivalent Irreducible Representations – Integer Matrices

gr.group-theorymatricesrt.representation-theory

Let $G$ be a finite group, and $\rho_1, \rho_2: G\to GL_n(\mathbb C)$ be two representations. Suppose that $\rho_1$ and $\rho_2$ are equivalent (i.e. conjugate over $\mathbb C$), and suppose that both groups $\rho_1(G)$, $ \rho_2(G)$ belong to $GL(n,\mathbb Z)$. Is it true that these two groups are conjugate in $GL(n,\mathbb Z)$?

If not, is this at least true in the case when $G$ is a symmetric group $S_n$ and the representation $\rho$ is irreducible? The motivation for this question is the following: I know that all complex irreducible representations of $S_n$ can be defined over integers. I wonder whether there is somehow a canonical choice.

Best Answer

The smallest counterexample involving irreducible representations of symmetric groups is the $2$-dimensional irreducible module for $\mathbb{C}S_3$. It can be defined over the integers as the submodule $U = \langle e_2-e_1, e_3-e_1\rangle_\mathbb{Z}$ of the natural integral permutation module $\langle e_1, e_2, e_3 \rangle_\mathbb{Z}$. Then $U \otimes_\mathbb{Z} \mathbb{C}$ is irreducible and affords the ordinary character labelled $(2,1)$. The dual $U^\star = \mathrm{Hom}_{\mathbb{Z}}(U,\mathbb{Z})$ is isomorphic to the quotient of $\langle e_1,e_2,e_3 \rangle$ by the trivial submodule $\langle e_1+e_2+e_3\rangle$. The corresponding homomorphisms $\rho, \rho^\star : S_3 \rightarrow \mathrm{GL}_2(\mathbb{Z})$ are such that $\rho(S_3)$ and $\rho^\star(S_3)$ are conjugate in $\mathrm{GL}_2(\mathbb{C})$ but not in $\mathrm{GL}_2(\mathbb{Z})$.

To prove the final claim: if the representations are $\mathbb{Z}$-equivalent then the modules $U \otimes_\mathbb{Z} \mathbb{F}_3$ and $U^\star \otimes_\mathbb{Z} \mathbb{F}_3$ are isomorphic. The first has a trivial submodule spanned by

$$(e_2-e_1) +(e_3-e_1) = e_1+e_2+e_3;$$

the quotient by this submodule is the sign module. The second is its dual, with the factors in the opposite order. Since both are indecomposable, they are not isomorphic.

Related Question