Twisting the Infinitesimal Site

Abstract

We classify twistings of Grothendieck's differential operators on a smooth variety $X$ in prime characteristic $p$. We prove isomorphism classes of twistings are in bijection with $H^2(X,{\mathbb{Z}}_p(1))$, the degree 2, weight 1 syntomic cohomology of $X$. We also discuss the relationship between twistings of crystalline and Grothendieck differential operators. Twistings in mixed characteristic are also analyzed.

21 pages. Final version, to appear in IMRN. Comments welcome