Burnside rings for Real $2$-representation theory: The linear theory

Abstract: This paper is a fundamental study of the Real $2$-representation theory of $2$-groups. It also contains many new results in the ordinary (non-Real) case. Our framework relies on a $2$-equivariant Morita bicategory, where a novel construction of induction is introduced. We identify the Grothendieck ring of Real $2$-representations as a Real variant of the Burnside ring of the fundamental group of the $2$-group and study the Real categorical character theory. This paper unifies two previous lines of inquiry, the approach to $2$-representation theory via Morita theory and Burnside rings, initiated by the first author and Wendland, and the Real $2$-representation theory of $2$-groups, as studied by the second author.