On the product of vector spaces in a commutative field extension (Q999712)

For \(K\subset L\) an extension of commutative fields, and for positive integers \(r,s\leq \dim_KL\) let \[ \mu_{K,L}(r,s)=\min \{\dim_K\langle AB\rangle\}, \] where the minimum is taken over all \(K\)-subspaces \(A,B\) of \(L\) with \(\dim_K A=r\), \(\dim_K B=s\) (\(\langle AB\rangle\) is the subspace generated by the products \(ab\), \(a\in A\), \(b\in B\)). Let \[ \kappa_{K,L}(r,s)=\min_h \left(\left\lceil \frac rh\right\rceil+ \left\lceil \frac sh\right\rceil-1\right)h, \] where \(h=[H:K]\) runs over the set of \(K\)-dimensions of all finite-dimensional intermediate fields \(K\subset H\subset L\). Suppose that every algebraic element of \(L\) is separable over \(K\). The authors prove that \(\mu_{K,L}(r,s)=\kappa_{K,L}(r,s)\).