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If $N_G(D)\le H\le G$, Brauer correspondence pairs the blocks of a group algebra of $RG$ and $RH$ having defect group of a block $D$. This is Green correspondence for their bimodules, with vertex of an indecomposable module $\Delta D$ in $G\times G$. The normalizer of $\Delta D$ lies in $H\times H$, and the corresponding restriction and induction have unique summands with that vertex.

The Green correspondent is the unique indecomposable summand of restriction or induction having the selected vertex of an indecomposable module, in the setting of Green correspondence. The two correspondence maps are inverse and preserve sources of an indecomposable module up to the appropriate normalizer conjugacy.

Throughout, modules are finite-dimensional over $k$, or finitely generated $\mathcal{O}$-free lattices when the coefficient ring is $\mathcal{O}$. The p-modular system has a complete discrete valuation ring $\mathcal{O}$, maximal ideal $(\pi )$, fraction field $K$ of characteristic zero and residue field $k$ of characteristic $p$.

A block of a group algebra is a nonzero, indecomposable two-sided ideal direct summand of $A=RG$. Equivalently it is $Ae$ for a primitive central idempotent $e$. To see the equivalence, suppose $A=B\oplus C$ as two-sided ideals and write $1=e+f$ with $e\in B$, $f\in C$. Products between $B$ and $C$ vanish because they lie in their zero intersection. Thus $e$ is the identity on $B$, zero on $C$, and is a central idempotent, with $B=Ae$. Conversely $A=Ae\oplus A(1-e)$. Splitting $Ae$ further is equivalent to splitting $e$ into orthogonal nonzero central idempotents; indecomposability is exactly primitivity. If $1=\sum e_i$ is the block decomposition, $M=⨁e_{i}M$. A nonzero indecomposable module therefore belongs to exactly one block of a group algebra, namely the one with $e_{i}M=M$.

For modular reduction of block idempotents, the conjugacy class sums are an $R$-basis of $Z(RG)$. Hence $Z(\mathcal{O}G)/\pi Z(\mathcal{O}G)\cong Z(kG)$. In the complete commutative algebra $Z(\mathcal{O}G)$, idempotent lifting gives a unique lift of each idempotent of $Z(kG)$; uniqueness follows because commuting idempotents congruent modulo the Jacobson radical are equal. Orthogonal decompositions lift too, so primitivity is preserved. Reduction gives a bijection between the integral and modular blocks.

Here is a definition of defect groups of a block which also proves the required relative-projectivity assertion. Give $RG$ its conjugation action and, for $H\le G$, define the relative trace and its transfer ideal of conjugation-fixed elements byA defect group of a block $RGe$ is a $p$-subgroup $D$ minimal with $e\in I_D$. Such a subgroup exists: for a Sylow subgroup $P$, $[G:P]$ is a unit in $R$ and $e={\mathrm{Tr}}_P^G(e/[G:P])$. The defect of a block is $d$ where $|D|=p^d$.

For completeness, this definition is independent of a choice up to conjugacy. Multiplying two relative traces and grouping the pairs of cosets by double cosets givesThis identity follows by writing each pair of cosets as a simultaneous $G$-orbit; its stabilizer is $D\cap {}^{g}E$, and its contribution is a trace from that stabilizer. If $D,E$ are both minimal for $e$, then $e=e^2$ belongs to the displayed sum. The commutative block center $eZ(RG)$ is a local ring: in the field case it is a commutative Artinian ring with no nontrivial idempotents; in the integral case its reduction has this property and completeness detects units. A sum of proper ideals cannot contain its identity. Consequently $e\in I_{D\cap {}^{g}E}$ for some $g$, forcing $D={}^{g}E$ by minimality. The same argument with an arbitrary $E$ shows that $e\in I_E$ precisely when $E$ contains a conjugate of $D$. This is the trace criterion for defect groups.

To relate this to the usual modular definition, the Brauer morphism deletes the coefficients outside the centralizer:It is an algebra homomorphism: in the coefficient of an element centralizing $P$ in a product, $P$ acts on the contributing pairs; nonfixed orbits have size divisible by $p$, while fixed pairs have both entries in $C_G(P)$. Its kernel is the sum of proper-subgroup transfers, because the nonfixed conjugation orbit sums form a basis of that kernel. If $D$ is minimal for $e={\mathrm{Tr}}_D^G(a)$ and ${\mathrm{Br}}_D(e)=0$, replace $a$ by $ea$. The kernel description gives $e\in {\sum }_{Q<D}{I}_Q$, contradicting the local-center argument. Also ${\mathrm{Br}}_P(I_D)=0$ unless $P$ is conjugate into $D$: group the cosets of $G/D$ into $P$-orbits, which have no fixed point otherwise. Thus the minimal transfer subgroups are exactly the maximal $p$-subgroups with nonzero Brauer morphism of $e$.

Now take $M=eM$ and write $e={\mathrm{Tr}}_D^G(a)$. Multiplication by $a$ is a $D$-linear endomorphism $\alpha$ of $M$, andHere is the splitting behind the D. Higman criterion. The natural map $\epsilon :RG{\otimes }_{RD}M\to M$, $g\otimes m\mapsto gm$, has a $G$-linear sectionChanging a representative by an element of $D$ leaves this tensor unchanged, $G$ permutes the terms, and $\epsilon s={\mathrm{id}}_M$. HenceThis is relative projectivity for $D$, proving the Green relative projectivity theorem; indecomposability was needed only to speak of a single block of a group algebra or vertex of an indecomposable module.

Finally let $\hat{e}$ lift $e$. A trace expression for $\hat{e}$ reduces to one for $e$, so a modular defect group of a block is contained, up to conjugacy, in an integral one. Conversely choose a modular defect group $D$ and $a\in (kG{)}^D$ with $e={\mathrm{Tr}}_D^G(a)$. Conjugation orbit sums lift $a$ to $\hat{a}\in (\mathcal{O}G{)}^D$. The elementreduces to its block identity, hence is a unit in that block center. Its inverse there is central, soThe integral defect is therefore contained in the modular one. The corresponding blocks have the same conjugacy class of defect groups and the same defect.

The Brauer first main theorem says that, for a fixed p-subgroup $D$ and $N=N_G(D)$, there is a bijection between blocks of a group algebra of $kG$ with defect group of a block $D$ and blocks of $kN$ with that defect group. Correspondents have the same nonzero image under ${\mathrm{Br}}_D$. The integral version follows by modular reduction of block idempotents.

Here is a proof using relative traces. Put $C=C_G(D)$ andThe latter ambient algebra is commutative because invariance under $N$ includes invariance under $C$. The Brauer morphism and relative trace identity isIndeed $D$ acts on $G/D$. Its fixed cosets are exactly $N/D$. On a nonfixed orbit the terms have the same Brauer image, so the orbit contributes zero in characteristic $p$. The fixed cosets give the right-hand side. Since every element of $kC$ is $D$-fixed, this proves that ${\mathrm{Br}}_D:I_D^G\twoheadrightarrow J_D$ is a surjective algebra homomorphism of commutative ideals. The same argument for $N$ has exactly the same target.

We use the following elementary fact about primitive idempotents under a surjection of commutative Artinian ideals. Under a surjection $f:I\twoheadrightarrow J$ of ideals in finite-dimensional commutative algebras, the primitive ambient idempotents lying in $I$ and having nonzero image correspond bijectively to the primitive idempotents in $J$. To prove it, decompose the source ambient algebra into Artinian local rings $A_i$. Either $I\cap A_i=A_i$, or it is a proper, hence nilpotent, ideal. Proper components contribute no idempotents to the image. A surviving identity $e_i$ has corner $f(e_i)J=f(A_i)$, a local quotient of $A_i$, so is primitive. The surviving identities are orthogonal and exhaust the idempotents of the target. Notice that this proof does not assert that the whole kernel is nilpotent: it can kill entire block components.

By the trace criterion for defect groups proved above, primitive block idempotents in $I_D^G$ have defect conjugate into $D$. Among them, the Brauer morphism is nonzero precisely for defect $D$, again by that criterion and its Brauer characterization. The identical reasoning applies to $I_D^N$. Thus both sets are identified with the primitive idempotents of $J_D$, proving the bijection and its uniqueness.

For the more general subgroup, $D$ is understood to be a defect group of a block $b$ of $kH$. This is the implicit hypothesis needed to apply the theorem; it is not repeated in the printed sentence. Without it the printed uniqueness assertion is false: take $G=A_5$, $H=A_4$, $p=3$ and $D=C_3$. The centralizer of $D$ in $A_5$ is $D$, but the unique three-dimensional defect-zero block of $k{A}_4$ is the bimodule restriction of each of the two three-dimensional defect-zero blocks of $k{A}_5$. The two ordinary degree-three characters both restrict to the degree-three character of $A_4$, with values $3,-1,0$ on its identity, involutions and elements of order three. Defect-zero reduction gives the same simple projective $k{A}_4$-module, so both restricted block bimodules are this same matrix block. This illustrates why block induction requires the block's defect centralizer. Write $e_b$ for its block idempotent and $K=N_H(D)$. Since $D{C}_G(D)\le H$, we have $D{C}_G(D)\le K\le N_G(D)$. Apply the theorem inside $H$ to obtain the unique corresponding block $\beta$ of $kK$. Its center of an associative algebra has a residue field $F_{\beta }$, and the quotient map is its central character of a block ${\omega }_{\beta }:Z(kK)\to F_{\beta }$. No assumption that $k$ is algebraically closed is needed here. DefineThe Brauer image is in $(k{C}_G(D){)}^{N_G(D)}\subseteq Z(kK)$, so this is a unital algebra homomorphism. Among the orthogonal primitive central idempotents of $kG$, exactly one has image $1$. The block it selects is $b^G$. If $H$ contains $N_G(D)$ this is the inverse of the bijection just proved. For arbitrary $H$, the resulting block can have a strictly larger defect group. Block induction is transitive on admissible intermediate subgroups. For the normalizer chain used in the proof below, the required transitivity will be verified directly with Brauer images.

To prove the bimodule characterization, we explicitly state the standard permutation-module fact used here. For a permutation module, the Brauer quotient of a module at $P$ has as basis the permutation-basis points fixed by $P$. An indecomposable summand has nonzero quotient at $P$ exactly when its vertex of an indecomposable module contains a conjugate of $P$. For summands with vertex exactly $P$, taking this quotient, with its $N(P)/P$-action, detects the summand and detects which orthogonal idempotent projection acts as its identity. These facts hold for trivial source modules; the fixed-basis description follows by deleting proper transfers, and the detection assertion is the permutation form of the first-main-theorem argument, applied to their endomorphism algebra.

As an $H\times H$ permutation module, with $(h_1,h_2)g=h_{1}g{h}_2^{-1}$, the group algebra decomposes asThe block bimodule $b$ is an indecomposable module with vertex of an indecomposable module $\Delta D=\{(d,d):d\in D\}$. None of the other double-coset modules can contain $b$: a basis element fixed by $\Delta D$ centralizes $D$, hence lies in $C_G(D)\subseteq H$, whereas those double cosets lie outside $H$. Thus $b$ occurs exactly once as an indecomposable summand of this restriction, in the $kH$ term. Decomposing $kG$ into its global block bimodules therefore puts this occurrence in precisely one of them, say $B$.

Under the fixed-basis description, the quotient of $kG$ at $\Delta D$ is $k{C}_G(D)$, and multiplication by $e_B$ induces multiplication by ${\mathrm{Br}}_D(e_B)$. The quotient of $b$ is ${\mathrm{Br}}_D^H(e_b)k{C}_G(D)=e_{\beta }k{C}_G(D)$. Consequently the detecting projection for this occurrence of $b$ satisfieswhich is equivalent to ${\omega }_b^G(e_B)=1$. Thus $B=b^G$, proving the requested unique-block direct-summand characterization. Here the restriction is to $H\times H$; the extra subscript in the converted TeX is a transcription error, not a different subgroup.

The block statement is Green correspondence for blocks: if $N_G(D)\le H\le G$, blocks of $RG$ and $RH$ with defect group $D$ correspond, and their block bimodules are Green correspondents for the diagonal vertex $\Delta D$. We prove the module correspondence underlying this statement, then specialize it to the block bimodules. This also gives the requested direct proof in the trivial-intersection situation.

Here are the elementary ingredients, including their proofs. Mackey decomposition is obtained by partitioning the tensor basis of $RG{\otimes }_{RL}U$ by the double cosets $H\backslash G/L$; the term for $g$ is induction from $H\cap {}^{g}L$ of the suitably conjugated restriction of $U$. The D. Higman criterion follows from the section constructed in Question 1. Conversely, take a splitting of the induction counit and its coefficient at the identity coset: equivariance reconstructs the section from that $H$-linear coefficient, and the splitting identity is exactly that its relative trace is $1$. Thus the trace criterion is an equivalence.

An indecomposable module here has a local endomorphism ring. Over $k$ this follows from the Fitting lemma: an endomorphism eventually splits its kernel from its image, and indecomposability makes it invertible or nilpotent. Over $\mathcal{O}$, the endomorphism ring is finite over a complete discrete valuation ring; lift orthogonal idempotents from its finite-dimensional residue algebra to see that an indecomposable lattice has a local endomorphism ring too. The Krull–Schmidt theorem follows by the usual exchange argument: composing the inclusion and projection of one indecomposable summand across a second decomposition writes its identity as a sum of endomorphisms; one is a unit in the local endomorphism ring and pairs that summand with a summand of the second decomposition. Remove the pair and continue. Existence follows by successively splitting nontrivial idempotents, which decreases dimension or rank.

A vertex of an indecomposable module is a subgroup minimal for relative projectivity. It can be taken to be a $p$-subgroup because averaging over the index of a Sylow subgroup of any candidate subgroup is invertible. If an indecomposable module is relatively projective for $P$ and $Q$, the Mackey decomposition and its induction splittings make it a summand of a sum of modules induced from $P\cap {}^{g}Q$. In its local endomorphism ring one splitting component must be invertible, so it is relatively projective for one of these intersections. This proves conjugacy of minimal vertices and the useful criterion that a module with vertex $P$ can be relatively projective for $Q$ only when $P$ is conjugate into $Q$. A source of an indecomposable module with vertex $P$ is an indecomposable summand $S$ of its restriction to $P$ from which the original module is an induced summand. Such a summand exists by the induction splitting and Krull–Schmidt theorem; its vertex is $P$, since a proper vertex would make the original module relatively projective for a proper subgroup of $P$.

SetWhen saying a module is $\mathcal{X}$- or $\mathcal{Y}$-projective, allow conjugates in the relevant ambient group and finite sums of modules relatively projective for members of that family. No conjugate of $D$ inside $H$ belongs to $\mathcal{Y}$: if $D\le {}^h(H\cap {}^{g}D)$, equality of orders gives $D={}^{hg}D$, so $hg\in N_G(D)\subseteq H$, contradicting $g\notin H$. Every member of $\mathcal{X}$ is a proper subgroup of $D$.

The two key assertions can now be proved rather than assumed. First, if $W$ is an indecomposable $D$-projective $RH$-module, thenChoose $U$ with $W\mid {\mathrm{Ind}}_D^{H}U$. Mackey decomposition gives ${\mathrm{Res}}_H^G{\mathrm{Ind}}_D^{G}U={\mathrm{Ind}}_D^{H}U\oplus T$, with $T$ $\mathcal{Y}$-projective. Write ${\mathrm{Ind}}_D^{H}U=W\oplus W^{\prime \prime }$ and apply induction and restriction. Both $\mathrm{Res}\mathrm{Ind}W$ and $\mathrm{Res}\mathrm{Ind}{W}^{\prime \prime }$ contain their original modules, by the identity double coset. Comparing multiplicities of every indecomposable which is not $\mathcal{Y}$-projective, their extra multiplicities are nonnegative and have sum zero. Therefore neither has such an extra summand, proving the assertion.

Second, suppose $W$ has vertex $D$, and choose an indecomposable $V\mid {\mathrm{Ind}}_H^{G}W$ whose restriction contains $W$; such a $V$ exists by the first assertion. Write $\mathrm{Ind}W=V\oplus V^{\prime }$. Its restriction has just one summand isomorphic to $W$ and all other summands are $\mathcal{Y}$-projective, so $\mathrm{Res}{V}^{\prime }$ is $\mathcal{Y}$-projective. Any indecomposable $Z\mid V^{\prime }$ has a vertex $P\le D$ after conjugacy. A source $S$ with vertex $P$ is a summand of ${\mathrm{Res}}_{P}Z$. Restricting a $\mathcal{Y}$-projective decomposition of ${\mathrm{Res}}_{H}Z$ to $P$ and using Mackey decomposition forces $P$ to lie in an $H$-conjugate of some $H\cap {}^{g}D$, $g\notin H$. Since $P\le D$, this puts $P$ in $\mathcal{X}$. Thus $V^{\prime }$ is $\mathcal{X}$-projective. Moreover $V$ has vertex $D$, since it is $D$-projective and its restriction contains $W$ with vertex $D$. We have provedIn particular $V$ is unique.

Conversely, let $V$ be an indecomposable $RG$-module with vertex $D$ and source $S$. Decompose ${\mathrm{Ind}}_D^{H}S$ and choose $W$ whose induction contains $V$. Its vertex is contained in $D$ and cannot be proper, since induction would then make $V$ relatively projective for a smaller subgroup. Thus $W$ has vertex $D$, and the previous assertion makes $V$ its unique vertex-$D$ induced summand. Restriction of an $\mathcal{X}$-projective module is $\mathcal{Y}$-projective: in a Mackey term a conjugating element inside $H$ preserves the containment in an $H$-conjugate of $\mathcal{Y}$, and one outside $H$ gives a subgroup of $H\cap {}^{g}D$. Comparing the two decompositions of $\mathrm{Res}\mathrm{Ind}W$ now givesThese assignments are mutually inverse. To check sources, restrict ${\mathrm{Ind}}_D^{H}S$ back to $D$. Its terms of full vertex are conjugates of $S$ by $N_H(D)$; the other terms are induced from proper intersections. Applying the source criterion and Krull–Schmidt theorem shows that the source of $W$ is one of those conjugates. The same argument in $G$, and the uniqueness just proved, matches the source classes on the two sides. Thus Green correspondence preserves sources up to normalizer conjugacy.

To pass to blocks of a group algebra, regard $RG$ as the permutation module $R[(G\times G)/\Delta G]$. A summand of a permutation module has trivial source. Here is why: over a finite p-group, every transitive permutation module is indecomposable, since its socle is the one-dimensional fixed line and every nonzero module has nonzero fixed points. The latter follows by induction on the group order, using a central element of order $p$ and the nilpotence of its difference from $1$. Over $\mathcal{O}$ indecomposability follows by reduction. Restrict a permutation summand to a vertex $P$ and apply Krull–Schmidt theorem; a source must be a transitive permutation module $R[P/Q]$. Its vertex is contained in $Q$, so minimality forces $Q=P$, and its source is the trivial module.

For a permutation module, its Brauer quotient of a module at $P$ has the fixed permutation points as basis: every nontrivial orbit sum is a proper transfer. An indecomposable trivial-source summand with vertex $Q$ has nonzero quotient only at subgroups conjugate into $Q$, by its induced-permutation realization, and its quotient at $Q$ is nonzero because its restriction contains its trivial source. Applied to a block $B=kGe$, the quotient at $\Delta P$ is ${\mathrm{Br}}_P(e)k{C}_G(P)$. Together with the maximal-subgroup characterization of defect from Question 1, this proves that its bimodule vertices are precisely $\Delta D$ for its defect groups $D$. The integral conclusion follows by orbit-sum reduction and idempotent lifting.

FinallyApply the just-proved Green correspondence with ambient group $G\times G$. Its unique vertex-$\Delta D$ summand of $B{\downarrow }_{H\times H}$ lies in $RH$: outside $H$ there is no $\Delta D$-fixed group-basis point, as in Question 2. Since the indecomposable $H\times H$ summands of $RH$ are exactly its block ideals, this summand is a block $b$ with defect group $D$. Conversely induction of $b$ has $B$ as its unique vertex-$\Delta D$ summand. The block bijection is the Brauer correspondence of Question 2, giving the claimed block form over either coefficient ring.

For the final special case put $N=N_G(D)$ with $D$ a trivial-intersection Sylow subgroup. For $g\notin N$, the intersection $N\cap {}^{g}N$ has order prime to $p$. Indeed every $p$-subgroup of it lies both in the normal Sylow subgroup $D$ of $N$ and in ${}^{g}D$, whose intersection is trivial. Mackey decomposition therefore giveswhere every other double-coset term is induced from a group of order prime to $p$. By Maschke's theorem such modules are projective, and induction preserves projectivity, so $P$ is projective.

Every nonprojective $kG$-module has nonprojective restriction to $N$: $[G:N]$ is prime to $p$, so averaging makes the module a summand of the induction of its restriction. A projective restriction would therefore make the original module projective. Decompose ${\mathrm{Ind}}_N^{G}M$ into indecomposables. Each nonprojective summand contributes a nonprojective summand on restriction, whereas the displayed Mackey formula and Krull–Schmidt theorem have exactly one nonprojective summand, $M$, with multiplicity one. There must be one, since $M$ is nonprojective. Hence

Use the usual Krull–Schmidt theorem setting, in which indecomposable summands have local endomorphism rings; the paper's rings $\mathcal{O},k$ satisfy it for the subgroups involved. The relative projective module condition for $H$ means that $M$ is a direct summand of a module induced from $H$, equivalently, $M$ is a summand of ${\mathrm{Ind}}_H^G{\mathrm{Res}}_H^{G}M$. A vertex of an indecomposable module is an inclusion-minimal such subgroup. A source of an indecomposable module at its module vertex $D$ is an indecomposable $RD$-summand $S$ of $M{\downarrow }_D$ such that $M\mid S{\uparrow }^G$.

Existence of a module source follows by decomposing $M{\downarrow }_D$ and using Krull–Schmidt theorem on the induced decomposition: the indecomposable summand $M$ must occur in the induction of one indecomposable summand $S$. Such $S$ has module vertex $D$ as a $D$-module, since relative projectivity of $S$ for a proper subgroup would make $M$ relatively projective for that subgroup.

In the paper's modular coefficient rings, an indecomposable module is a trivial source module when its module source is the rank-one trivial module $R$ of its module vertex. It is then a summand of $R[G/D]$, a permutation module. Conversely suppose $M$ is an indecomposable summand of a permutation module. Restriction to a module vertex $D$ is a sum of modules $R[D/E]$, one for each $D$-orbit of the permutation basis. For a $p$-group $D$, each transitive permutation module is indecomposable: over $k$ it has simple head of a module over the local ring $kD$, and over $\mathcal{O}$ a nontrivial splitting would give a nontrivial splitting after reduction. A module source $S$ must be one of these summands by Krull–Schmidt theorem. Its module vertex is $D$, whereas $R[D/E]$ is relatively $E$-projective. Thus $E=D$, and $S\cong R$. Therefore trivial module source is equivalent to being an indecomposable permutation-module summand.

The rank-one formulation uses the paper's coefficient rings. If the earlier general coefficient-ring wording were applied to a disconnected ring, it would need qualification: for $R=k\times k$ and $G=1$, $(k,0)$ is an indecomposable summand of the permutation module $R$, but is not the rank-one trivial module $R$. One can instead allow indecomposable summands of the trivial coefficient module as module sources in that generality.

For the homomorphism request, take $M_i=\mathcal{O}[G/H_i]$. Frobenius reciprocity and Mackey decomposition giveThe summand for $g$ is generated by the sum of the cosets in the $H_1$-orbit of $g{H}_2$. The identical orbit-sum construction over $k$ gives one copy of $k$ per double coset. These are free bases in both characteristics, since invariance means coefficients are constant on orbits, with no division by orbit size. HenceThe same argument applies to direct sums of coset permutation modules.

If $M$ is a trivial module source $kG$-module, choose a permutation lattice $X$ with $M\mid \bar{X}$. Its projection is an idempotent $f\in {\mathrm{End}}_{kG}(\bar{X})$. The endomorphism reduction is surjective by the preceding calculation. Its kernel is $\mathfrak{p}{\mathrm{End}}_{\mathcal{O}G}(X)$, and the endomorphism algebra is complete over $\mathcal{O}$. By idempotent refinement theorem, $f$ lifts to an idempotent $\hat{f}$. The lattice $\hat{f}X$ is a permutation-module summand, hence a trivial module source lattice, and reduces to $M$.

To prove uniqueness within the class of trivial module source lattices, let $L,L^{\prime }$ be two such lifts. They are summands of permutation lattices. Lift a modular isomorphism and its inverse between them by the same homomorphism-surjectivity argument, inserting the summand projections on either side. The lifted composites are identity modulo $\mathfrak{p}$ and therefore invertible over $\mathcal{O}$, by Nakayama lemma or the determinant criterion. The lifted maps are consequently inverse up to an invertible composite and give $L\cong L^{\prime }$. Thus each trivial module source module has a unique trivial module source lift up to isomorphism. This is permutation homomorphisms lift through modular reduction; uniqueness is not claimed among arbitrary lattice lifts.

Existence of a minimal subgroup follows because $G$ has only finitely many subgroups and every module is relatively $G$-projective. Suppose an indecomposable module $M$ is relatively projective for both $H$ and $K$. Then $M$ is a summand of ${\mathrm{Ind}}_H^{G}U$ and of ${\mathrm{Ind}}_K^{G}V$ for suitable modules $U,V$. Applying the Mackey restriction formula and the Krull–Schmidt theorem shows that $M$ is relatively projective for some subgroupIf $H$ and $K$ are minimal, this forces $H\subseteq {}^{g}K$. Reversing their roles gives the reverse containment after conjugacy; since the groups are finite, $H$ and $K$ are conjugate. Thus vertices form a unique conjugacy class.

Let $Q$ be a vertex and let $P$ be a Sylow p-subgroup of $Q$. Since $[Q:P]$ is invertible in $k$, every $kQ$-module is relatively $P$-projective. Transitivity of relative projectivity makes $M$ relatively $P$-projective, so minimality forces $Q=P$. Hence every vertex is a p-group.

For the trivial module $k$, every $kH$-endomorphism is scalar, and its relative trace to $G$ is multiplication by $[G:H]$. The D. Higman criterion says that $k$ is relatively $H$-projective exactly when $p\nmid [G:H]$. The minimal such subgroups are precisely the Sylow p-subgroups. Therefore the vertex of an indecomposable module gives

For an indecomposable module $M$ with vertex of an indecomposable module $D$, a source is an indecomposable $RD$-module $S$ which is a direct summand of ${\mathrm{Res}}_D^{G}M$ and for which $M$ is a direct summand of ${\mathrm{Ind}}_D^{G}S$. It has vertex $D$ as a $D$-module. Sources at a fixed vertex are conjugate by its normalizer.