Strongly liftable schemes and the Kawamata-Viehweg vanishing in positive characteristic. II (Q2428794)

A smooth scheme \(X\) over a field \(k\) of positive characteristic is said to be strongly liftable if \(X\) and all prime divisors on \(X\) can be lifted simultaneously to \(W_2(k)\), the ring of Witt vectors of length two of \(k\). The author continues the study of strongly liftable schemes introduced in [Math.\ Res.\ Lett.\ 17, No. 3, 563--572 (2010; Zbl 1223.14026)] in connection with the study of the Kawamata-Viehweg vanishing theorem in positive characteristic. First he shows that any smooth toric variety is strongly liftable. As a corollary he obtains the Kawamata-Viehweg vanishing theorem for smooth projective toric varieties. Second, he proves the Kawamata-Viehweg vanishing theorem for normal projective surfaces birational to a strongly liftable smooth projective surface, with no singularity assumption, extending the corresponding result obtained in the previous paper. Finally, the author deduces the cyclic cover trick over \(W_2(k)\) and uses it to study the behavior of cyclic covers over strongly liftable schemes. Furthermore, the author takes the opportunity to correct some statements in the previous paper.