On the invariants of inseparable field extensions

Let K be a finitely generated extension of a field k of characteristic $$p\not =0$$ . In 1947, Dieudonne initiated the study of maximal separable intermediate fields. He gave in particular the form of an important subclass of maximal separable intermediate fields D characterized by the property $$K\subseteq k({D}^{p^{-\infty }})$$ , and which are called the distinguished subfields of K/k. In 1970, Kraft showed that the distinguished maximal separable subfields are precisely those over which K is of minimal degree. This paper grew out of an attempt to find a new characterization of distinguished subfields of K/k by means of new inseparability invariants.