Trace maps for Mackey algebras

Abstract

Let $G$ be a finite group and $R$ be a commutative ring. The Mackey algebra $\mu_{R}(G)$ shares a lot of properties with the group algebra $RG$ however, there are some differences. For example, the group algebra is a symmetric algebra and this is not always the case for the Mackey algebra. In this paper we present a systematic approach to the question of the symmetricity of the Mackey algebra, by producing symmetric associative bilinear forms for the Mackey algebra. The category of Mackey functors is a closed symmetric monoidal category, so using the formalism of J.P. May for these categories, S. Bouc has defined the so-called Burnside trace. Using this Burnside trace we produce trace maps for Mackey algebras which generalize the usual trace map the group algebras. These trace maps factorise through Burnside algebras. We prove that the Mackey algebra $\mu_{R}(G)$ is a symmetric algebra if and only if the family of Burnside algebras $(RB(H))_{H\leqslant G}$ is a family of symmetric algebras with a compatibility condition. As a corollary, we recover the well known fact that over a field of characteristic zero, the Mackey algebra is always symmetric. Over the ring of integers the Mackey algebra of $G$ is symmetric if and only if the order of $G$ is square free. Finally, over a field of characteristic $p>0$ we show that the Mackey algebra is symmetric if and only if the Sylow $p$-subgroups of $G$ are of order $1$ or $p$.