Characteristic polynomials of a permutation representation

Let G be a finite group. To each permutation representation (G, X) of G and class function χ of G we associate the χ-characteristic polynomialg_χ(x) of (G, X) which is a polynomial in one variable with complex numbers as coefficients. The coefficients of g_χ(x) are investigated in terms of the “exterior powers” of (G, X). If χ is the principal character 1_G of G, the coefficients of g_χ(x) are non-negative integers; and if furthermore G has odd order, the kth coefficient is the number of orbits of G acting on the subsets of X with k elements. Quadratic and linear relations among the exterior powers of (G, X) have been derived and it is shown how the polynomial g_χ(x) can be computed from the cycle index of (G, X).