On the $p$-rationality of Deligne--Lusztig characters

Abstract

Among finite simple groups, character values of alternating and sporadic groups have relatively low irrationality at any prime $p$, whereas those of simple groups of Lie type can have arbitrarily high $p$-irrationality. We provide concrete evidence supporting this phenomenon. In particular, we show that if $\chi:=R_{\mathbf{T}}^{\mathbf{G}}(\theta)$ is a Deligne--Lusztig character of a finite reductive group $\mathbf{G}^F$, with $\theta$ an irreducible character of a maximal torus $\mathbf{T}^F$, and if $\chi$ has degree prime to $p$, then the so-called $p$-rationality level of $\chi$ coincides precisely with that of $\theta$. We present further evidence suggesting that Lusztig induction preserves $p$-rationality for characters of $p'$-degree.