Lifting zero-dimensional schemes and divided powers

Abstract: We study divided power structures on finitely generated $k$-algebras, where $k$ is a field of positive characteristic $p$. As an application we show examples of $0$-dimensional Gorenstein $k$-schemes that do not lift to a fixed noetherian local ring of non-equal characteristic. We also show that Frobenius neighbourhoods of a singular point of a general hypersurface of large dimension have no liftings to mildly ramified rings of non-equal characteristic.