Jónsson \(\omega _ 0\)-generated algebraic field extensions (Q1073096)

A field K algebraic over its subfield F is said to be a J-extension (for Jónsson \(\omega_ 0\)-extension) of F if K/F is not finitely generated, but E/F is finitely generated for each proper intermediate field E. This paper is primarily concerned with the problems of determining (1) the structure of a given J-extension K/F, and (2) the class of fields that admit a J-extension or a Galois J-extension. If K/F is a Galois J-extension, we show that the set \(\{E_ i\}_ 0^{\infty}\) of proper intermediate fields forms a strictly ascending sequence and that there exists a prime p such that \([E_{i+1}:E_ i]=p\) for each i; in this case the Galois group of K/F is \({\mathbb{Z}}_ p\), the additive group of p-adic integers. Conversely, a Galois extension with Galois group \({\mathbb{Z}}_ p\) is a J-extension. If K/F is a separable J- extension that is not Galois, then the set S of intermediate fields need not be linearly ordered under inclusion, and even if S is linearly ordered under inclusion, the relative degrees of adjacent intermediate fields need neither be prime nor constant. Concerning (2), we show that each field F that is neither real closed nor algebraically closed admits a J-extension, and conversely. In an appendix to the paper, D. Saltman shows that for an odd prime p, F admits a Galois \({\mathbb{Z}}_ p\)-extension if and only if F admits a cyclic extension of degree p, while F admits a Galois \({\mathbb{Z}}_ 2\)-extension if and only if F admits a cyclic extension of degree 4.