1.II.19G

Representation Theory
Part II, 2005

Let the finite group GG act on finite sets XX and YY, and denote by C[X],C[Y]\mathbb{C}[X], \mathbb{C}[Y] the associated permutation representations on the spaces of complex functions on XX and YY. Call their characters χX\chi_{X} and χY\chi_{Y}.

(i) Show that the inner product χXχY\left\langle\chi_{X} \mid \chi_{Y}\right\rangle is the number of orbits for the diagonal action of GG on X×YX \times Y.

(ii) Assume that X>1|X|>1, and let SC[X]S \subset \mathbb{C}[X] be the subspace of those functions whose values sum to zero. By considering χX2\left\|\chi_{X}\right\|^{2}, show that SS is irreducible if and only if the GG-action on XX is doubly transitive: this means that for any two pairs (x1,x2)\left(x_{1}, x_{2}\right) and (x1,x2)\left(x_{1}^{\prime}, x_{2}^{\prime}\right) of points in XX with x1x2x_{1} \neq x_{2} and x1x2x_{1}^{\prime} \neq x_{2}^{\prime}, there exists some gGg \in G with gx1=x1g x_{1}=x_{1}^{\prime} and gx2=x2g x_{2}=x_{2}^{\prime}.

(iii) Let now G=SnG=S_{n} acting on the set X={1,2,,n}X=\{1,2, \ldots, n\}. Call YY the set of 2element subsets of XX, with the natural action of SnS_{n}. If n4n \geqslant 4, show that C[Y]\mathbb{C}[Y] decomposes under SnS_{n} into three irreducible representations, one of which is the trivial representation and another of which is SS. What happens when n=3n=3 ?

[Hint: Consider 1χY,χXχY\left\langle 1 \mid \chi_{Y}\right\rangle,\left\langle\chi_{X} \mid \chi_{Y}\right\rangle and χY2\left\|\chi_{Y}\right\|^{2}.]