what doies perfect mean? all algebvraic extensions are separable? sounds trivial from the definitions doesn't it? have you thought about it?
if so, and it still eludes you, think abiout the relation between the irreducible polynomial for a given element over a base field as opposed to over a larger field.
@mathwonk: Yes "perfect" means all extensions are seperable.
@barbie: Do the following
1)Let [tex]K/E<\infty[/tex].
2)Let [tex]\alpha \in E[/tex]
3)Show [tex]\mbox{irr} \left< \alpha, E \right>[/tex] has zeros of multiplicity 1 (Hint: Show that [tex]\mbox{irr}\left< \alpha, E \right> | \mbox{irr} \left< \alpha, F \right>[/tex]*
*)If K algebraic over E algebraic over F then K algebraic over F.
Just out of interest: What does the notation irr<a,E> mean?
I though maybe it was a notation for the minimal polynomial of a over E, but as a was in E that doesn't make much sense your 3 wouldn't make much sense.