[Math] Algebraically closed field extension can be not algebraic

extension-fieldfield-theory

By definition, one says that an algebraic closure $K$ of a given field $F$ is an algebraic extension of $F$ who is algebraically closed. This makes me curious about whether there exists an extension $K'$ of $F$ who is algebraically closed, while $K'$ is not an algebraic extension?

Best Answer

Sure, this occurs naturally. Consider $F = \mathbb Q$ and its algebraic closure $K = \bar{\mathbb Q}$. Now consider $\mathbb Q$ as a subfield of $K' = \mathbb C$.

$\mathbb C$ is algebraically closed, its an extension of $\mathbb Q$ but it is not algebraic over $\mathbb Q$.


edit: Here is another example. Let $F$ be a finite field and let $K$ be its algebraic closure. Let $F \subseteq F'$ be an extension of $F$ of sufficiently large cardinality (i.e. uncountable) and let $K'$ be the algebraic closure of $F'$. (*)

$K'$ is a field extension of $F$ that is algebraically closed but it cannot be algebraic over $F$ because its cardinality is too large. I.e. there are only countable many polynomial roots over $F[X]$ but $K'$ contains uncountably many elements - most of which cannot be algebraic over $F$. In this fashion you can get an arbitrarily large 'gap' between the cardinality of the algebraic closure of $F$ and an algebraically closed extension. (The fact that $F$ is finite is irrelevant here - I simply thought it might help to make this example more approachable.)

(*) Note that $F'$ exists by the existence of the infinite field $K$ and the upward Löwenheim-Skolem Theorem, but you can also just view it as a field extension $F' = F(x_i \mid i \in I)$ with indepenent $x_i$ and $I$ uncountable.

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