Lifting mod \(p\) representations to characteristics \(p^{2}\). (Q1398953)

Let \(K\) be a field with absolute Galois group \(G\), and let \(\kappa\) be a finite field. Denote by \(W(\kappa)\) (\(W_2(\kappa)\)) its ring of Witt vectors (of length 2). Given a representation \(\overline \rho: G\rightarrow \text{ GL}_n(\kappa)\) one would like to lift this to a representation in characteristic 0. As a first step, the author investigates the possibility of lifting \(\overline\rho\) to a homomorphism \(\rho: G\rightarrow \text{ GL}_n(W_2(\kappa)).\) He shows that this is always possible if \(K\) is a local field (using a similar result on Demuškin groups) and describes the Galois cohomological obstruction against prescribing the determinant of a lift. Moreover, if the fixed field of the kernel of \(\overline\rho\) does not contain a unit of order char\((\kappa)\), then \(\overline\rho\) has a lift to GL\(_n(W(\kappa)).\) If \(K\) is a global field, the author gives a Galois cohomological criterion which implies the existence of a lift of \(\overline\rho\) to \(\text{ GL}_n(W_2(\kappa)).\)