The aim of this dissertation is to describe the conjugacy classes and some of the ordinary irreducible characters of the nite general linear group GL(n, q); together with character tables of some of its subgroups. We study the structure of GL(n, q) and some of its important subgroups such as SL(n, q); UT(n, q); SUT(n, q); Z(GL(n, q)); Z(SL(n, q)); GL(n, q)0 ; SL(n, q)0 ; the Weyl group W and parabolic subgroups P : In addition, we also discuss the groups PGL(n, q); PSL(n, q) and the a ne group A (n, q); which are related to GL(n, q): The character tables of GL(2; q); SL(2; q); SUT(2; q) and UT(2; q) are constructed in this dissertation and examples in each case for q = 3 and q = 4 are supplied. A complete description for the conjugacy classes of GL(n, q) is given, where the theories of irreducible polynomials and partitions of i 2 f1; 2; ; ng form the atoms from where each conjugacy class of GL(n, q) is constructed. We give a special attention to some elements of GL(n, q); known as regular semisimple, where we count the number and orders of these elements. As an example we compute the conjugacy classes of GL(3; q): Characters of GL(n, q) appear in two series namely, principal and discrete series characters. The process of the parabolic induction is used to construct a large number of irreducible characters of GL(n, q) from characters of GL(n, q) for m < n: We study some particular characters such as Steinberg characters and cuspidal characters (characters of the discrete series). The latter ones are of particular interest since they form the atoms from where each character of GL(n, q) is constructed. These characters are parameterized in terms of the Galois orbits of non-decomposable characters of F q n: The values of the cuspidal characters on classes of GL(n, q) will be computed. We describe and list the full character table of GL(n, q): There exists a duality between the irreducible characters and conjugacy classes of GL(n, q); that is to each irreducible character, one can associate a conjugacy class of GL(n, q): Some aspects of this duality will be mentioned.

Thesis (M.Sc. (School of Mathematical Sciences)) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.