Classical theorems attributed to Levi, Mal'cev, Harish-Chandra for a finite dimensional Lie algebra over a field of characteristic 0 state that it has a Levi decomposition (semisimple subalgebra plus solvable radical) and that all such semisimple subalgebras (Levi factors) are conjugate in a strong sense: see Jacobson, *Lie Algebras*, III.9, for example. This carries over to connected linear algebraic groups, but in prime characteristic there are counterexamples going back perhaps to Chevalley that involve familiar group schemes like $SL_2$ over rings of Witt vectors. Recent posts here have somewhat ignored that difficulty, having just characteristic 0 in mind. Borel and Tits redefined "Levi factor" to be a reductive complement to the unipotent radical, which is makes no real difference in characteristic 0 but allows them to concentrate on positive answers for parabolic subgroups of reductive groups in general. Other familiar subgroups of reductive groups like the identity component of the centralizer of a unipotent element require much more subtle treatment, as in work of George McNinch. Whether or not the characteristic $p$ question is important, it has remained open for many decades (say over an algebraically closed field). I gave up after one forgettable paper (Pacific J. Math. 23, 1967). The problem is still easy to state: >Are there effective necessary or sufficient conditions for existence or uniqueness of Levi factors in a connected linear algebraic group over an algebraically closed field of prime characteristic? It's clear that a scheme-theoretic viewpoint is needed. Possibly the known counterexamples using Witt vectors suggest in some way all possible counterexamples? (Or is the question hopeless to resolve completely?)