$Sp_{2n}(F_{q^{2}})$-Invariants In Irreducible Unipotent Representations of $Sp_{4n}(F_{q})$

Abstract

We show that for any irreducible representation of $Sp_{4n}(F_{q})$, the subspace of all its $Sp_{2n}(F_{q^{2}})$-invariants is at most one-dimensional. In terms of Lusztig symbols, we give a complete list of irreducible unipotent representations of $Sp_{4n}(F_{q})$ which have a nonzero $Sp_{2n}(F_{q^{2}})$-invariant and, in particular, we prove that every irreducible unipotent cuspidal representation has a one-dimensional subspace of $Sp_{2n}(F_{q^{2}})$-invariants. As an application, we give an elementary proof of the fact that the unipotent cuspidal representation is defined over $Q$, which was proved by Lusztig.