Bogomolov-Sommese vanishing and liftability for surface pairs in positive characteristic

We show that the Bogomolov-Sommese vanishing theorem holds for a log canonical projective surface (X, B) in large characteristic unless the Iitaka dimension of K-X + [B] is not equal to two. As an application, we prove that a log resolution of a pair of a normal projective surface and a reduced divisor in large characteristic lifts to the ring of Witt vectors when the Iitaka dimension of the log canonical divisor is less than or equal to zero. Moreover, we give explicit and optimal bounds on the characteristic unless their Iitaka dimensions are equal to zero. (C) 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.