Generalization of the $${\varvec{lq}}$$lq-modular closure theorem and applications

Let k be a field of characteristic $$ p\not =0 $$. For a (purely) inseparable extension K / k the notion of modularity, defined by M.E. Sweedler in the 60s, is a very important property, very much like being Galois for a separable extension. We have defined, together with M. Chellali, a generalization of the notion of modularity, called lower quasi-modularity: K / k is lower quasi-modular (lq-modular) if for some finite extension $$k'$$ over k we have that $$K/k'$$ is modular. In subsequent papers M. Chellali and the author have studied various properties of lq-modular field extensions, including the existence of lq-modular closures in case $$[k{:}k^p]$$ is finite. In this paper we prove a similar result, without the hypothesis on k but with extra assumptions on K / k: the extension needs to be q-finite, that is, there must exist an integer M such that for every positive integer n the field $$K\cap k^{p^{-n}}$$ is generated by at most M elements on k. A number of properties of lq-modular closures are determined and examples are presented illustrating the results.