REDUCTION THEOREMS FOR THE BRAUER CONJECTURE ON THE NUMBER OF CHARACTERS IN A p-BLOCK

Abstract

Theorems are proved that reduce the proof of the Brauer conjecture for finite groups G with a p-soluble centralizer of a p-element to the evaluation of the minimum of a suitable positive definite quadratic form, whose matrix is given in terms of the Cartan matrix of a p-block of a group of simpler structure than G.