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The matrix-block sizes in the Artin–Wedderburn theorem for $\mathbb{C}[G]$ recover the irreducible character degrees with their multiplicities. They determine the degree-square sum and the number $|G:G^{\prime }|$ of linear characters. Isaacs' character-degree criterion for p-nilpotency therefore detects each normal p-complement and applying it for every prime also detects nilpotent groups. The set of distinct degrees without multiplicities does not contain the same information.

Write $o(\theta )$ for the order of the determinant character of an irreducible character $\theta$. An extension has the same degree and restricts exactly to $\theta$, rather than just containing it as a constituent.

Extension theorem. Thompson's coprime character extension theorem says that if $N◃G$, $\theta \in \mathrm{Irr}(N)$ is $G$-invariant, and $\gcd (\theta (1),[G:N])=1$, then $\theta$ extends to $G$ exactly when its determinant character extends to a linear character of $G$. In particular, if also $\gcd (o(\theta ),[G:N])=1$, there is a unique extension with determinant order coprime to the index. For a p-group quotient, the version used below gives a canonical extension whenever both the degree and the determinant order are prime to $p$. This theorem is an assertion of extendibility, not the false statement that every invariant irreducible character extends.

The p-nilpotency lemma. Definewhere $m_p$ is the largest power of $p$ dividing an integer $m$. Isaacs' character-degree criterion for p-nilpotency assertsEquivalently, $s_p(G{)}_p=h_p(G)$. We prove both the divisibility and the criterion.

Let $N=O^p(G)$ be the p-residual of a finite group, the least normal subgroup with p-group quotient. It can also be described as the subgroup generated by all p-prime-order elements: every homomorphism to a p-group kills those elements, and after quotienting by their generated subgroup the image of every element has p-power order, so the quotient is a p-group by Cauchy's theorem.

The residual is p-perfect, meaning $O^p(N)=N$. Indeed $O^p(N)$ is characteristic in $N$, hence normal in $G$, and $G/O^p(N)$ is an extension of the two p-groups $N/O^p(N)$ and $G/N$. Minimality of $N$ forces equality. Consequently $N/N^{\prime }$ has order prime to $p$, since otherwise it would have a quotient of order $p$. Every linear character of $N$, in particular every determinant character of $N$, therefore has order prime to $p$.

Let $\mathcal{T}$ consist of the $G$-invariant irreducible characters $\theta$ of $N$ of degree prime to $p$. Each extends to an irreducible character $\hat{\theta }$ of $G$ by the extension theorem. The irreducible characters of $G$ lying over $\theta$ are exactlyHere is the representation argument for this description. If a representation lies over the invariant $\theta$, its $N$-module is copies of the module for $\theta$. Identify it with that module tensored with its multiplicity space. Dividing the $G$-action by the fixed extending action on the first factor leaves an action on the multiplicity space, trivial on $N$. Irreducibility is equivalent to irreducibility of that quotient action, proving the displayed parametrization.

Every irreducible degree of the p-group $G/N$ is a power of $p$, since it divides the group order. Thus the p-prime-degree characters lying over $\theta$ are exactly those with $\nu$ linear, and there areof them. For the last equality, $G/N{G}^{\prime }$ is the largest abelian p-group quotient of $G$, hence the p-primary part of its abelianization. In particular all these characters have degree $\theta (1)$.

Conversely, for any $\chi \in \mathrm{Irr}(G)$ of p-prime degree, Clifford theory writes its restriction to $N$ as $e$ times the sum of a single orbit of irreducible characters. The orbit size divides $[G:N]$ and also divides $\chi (1)$, so it is one; the constituent $\theta$ is invariant and has p-prime degree. Hence $\theta \in \mathcal{T}$. The preceding extension parametrization now forces the quotient character to be linear. We have therefore obtained the exact identityThis proves the required divisibility without assuming p-nilpotency.

The p-group $G/N$ acts on $\mathrm{Irr}(N)$ by conjugation. Every nonfixed orbit has size divisible by $p$, and degrees are constant on each orbit. Fixed characters whose degrees are divisible by $p$ also contribute zero modulo $p$. The sum of squares of irreducible degrees consequently givesThe quotient is prime to $p$ exactly when $N$ has order prime to $p$. Since $G/N$ is a p-group, that is exactly the assertion that $N$ is a normal p-complement. Conversely, any normal p-complement equals $O^p(G)$ because it contains all p-prime-order elements and has p-group quotient. This finishes the lemma.

Detection from the group algebra. For finite groups $G$ and $H$ with isomorphic complex group algebras, the Artin–Wedderburn theorem givesThe simple matrix-block sizes and their multiplicities are determined by the algebra isomorphism. Hence $G$ and $H$ have identical irreducible degree multisets. They have the same order, from the degree-square sum, and the same number of linear characters, which equals $|G:G^{\prime }|$. Thus $s_p$ and $h_p$ coincide for every prime $p$. The lemma shows that one group is p-nilpotent exactly when the other is.

A finite group is nilpotent exactly when it has a normal p-complement for every prime dividing its order. For completeness, if all those complements exist, set $L_q={\bigcap }_{p\ne q}{K}_p$, where $K_p$ is the normal p-complement. The diagonal map $G/L_q\to {\prod }_{p\ne q}G/K_p$ is injective, so $[G:L_q]$ is prime to $q$. At the same time, containment in each $K_p$ removes every prime other than $q$ from $|L_q|$. Thus $L_q$ is a normal Sylow q-subgroup. Distinct normal Sylow subgroups commute, giving the direct-product decomposition. Conversely, the direct-product decomposition of a finite nilpotent group provides all the complements. We concludeThis is the assertion that the complex group algebra detects p-nilpotency and hence nilpotency. It needs the multiplicities of the degrees, not just their distinct values.

Normal-complement consequence. If $p$ divides every nonlinear irreducible degree, the p-prime-degree characters are exactly the linear characters. ThereforeThe lemma yields a normal p-complement immediately:This proves Thompson's character-degree normal complement theorem, including the abelian case where the hypothesis on nonlinear characters is vacuous.

If a prime $p$ divides the degree of every nonlinear irreducible character of a finite group, the group has a normal p-complement. Indeed, the p-prime-degree characters are exactly the linear characters. Their squared-degree sum is $|G:G^{\prime }|$, whose p-part is $|G:G^{\prime }{|}_p$; Isaacs' character-degree criterion for p-nilpotency applies.