Deformations of elliptic fibre bundles in positive characteristic

Abstract

We study deformation theory of elliptic fibre bundles over curves in positive characteristics. As applications, we give examples of non-liftable elliptic surfaces in charactertic two and three, which answers a question of Katsura and Ueno. Also, we construct a class of elliptic fibrations, whose liftability is equivalent to a conjecture of F. Oort concerning the liftability of automorphisms of curves. Finally, we classify deformations of bielliptic surfaces.