The Knutson index of the representation ring

Abstract

In this paper, we study if, for a given simple module over a Hopf algebra, there exists a virtual module such that their tensor product is the regular module. This is related to a conjecture by Donald Knutson, later disproved and refined by Savitskii, stating that for every irreducible character of a finite group, there exists a virtual character such that their tensor product is the regular character. We also introduce the Knutson Index as a measure of Knutson's Conjecture failure, discuss its algebraic properties and present counter-examples to Savitskii's Conjecture.