Generating functions for real character degree sums of finite general linear and unitary groups

Abstract: We compute generating functions for the sum of the real-valued character degrees of the finite general linear and unitary groups, through symmetric function computations. For the finite general linear group, we get a new combinatorial proof that every real-valued character has Frobenius-Schur indicator 1, and we obtain some q-series identities. For the finite unitary group, we expand the generating function in terms of values of Hall-Littlewood functions, and we obtain combinatorial expressions for the character degree sums of real-valued characters with Frobenius-Schur indicator 1 or -1.