The total character τ of a finite group G is defined as the sum of all the irreducible characters of G. K. W. Johnson asks when it is possible to express τ as a polynomial with integer coefficients in a single irreducible character. In this paper, we give a complete answer to Johnson’s question for all finite dihedral groups. In particular, we show that, when such a polynomial exists, it is uni...

After deriving inequalities on coefficients arising in the expansion of a Schur P -function in terms of Schur functions we give criteria for when such expansions are multiplicity free. From here we study the multiplicity of an irreducible spin character of the twisted symmetric group in the product of a basic spin character with an irreducible character of the symmetric group, and determine whe...

A Brauer character of a finite group may be lifted to an ordinary character if it lies in a block whose defect groups are contained in a normal p-solvable subgroup. By the Fong-Swan theorem [2, Theorem 72.1], an irreducible Brauer character of a finite p-solvable group G may be lifted to an ordinary (complex) character of G. In other words, every Brauer character is the restriction of some ...

An abundance of information regarding the structure of a finite group can be obtained by studying its irreducible characters. Of particular interest are monomial characters — those induced from a linear character of some subgroup — since Brauer has shown that any irreducible character of a group can be written as an integral linear combination of monomial characters. Our primary focus is the cl...