Classifying representations by way of Grassmannians

Let be a finite-dimensional algebra over an algebraically closed field. Criteria are given which characterize existence of a fine or coarse moduli space classifying, up to isomorphism, the representations of with fixed dimension and fixed squarefree top . Next to providing a complete theoretical picture, some of these equivalent conditions are readily checkable from quiver and relations of . In the case of existence of a moduli space--unexpectedly frequent in light of the stringency of fine classification--this space is always projective and, in fact, arises as a closed subvariety of a classical Grassmannian. Even when the full moduli problem fails to be solvable, the variety is seen to have distinctive properties recommending it as a substitute for a moduli space. As an application, a characterization of the algebras having only finitely many representations with fixed simple top is obtained; in this case of `finite local representation type at a given simple ', the radical layering is shown to be a classifying invariant for the modules with top . This relies on the following general fact obtained as a byproduct: proper degenerations of a local module never have the same radical layering as .