The Krull filtration on the category \(U\) and cohomology of spaces (Q5946784)

In an earlier paper [Invent. Math. 134, No. 1, 211-227 (1998; Zbl 0919.55007)] the author proved a conjecture of \textit{N. J. Kuhn} [Ann. Math., II. Ser. 141, No. 2, 321-347 (1995; Zbl 0849.55022)] about realizing certain modules over the Steenrod algebra as the cohomology of a space. This result said that a finitely generated unstable module over the Steenrod algebra could only be realized if it was, in fact, finite. Being finitely generated implies that the module lies in a certain finite stage of the Krull filtration of the category of unstable modules. This article considers modules which have this property but are not finitely generated. The main theorem asserts that if a module has finite Krull filtration and all the quotients in its nilpotent filtration are finitely generated, then it can only be topologically realized if it is locally finite. In a recent preprint, Dehons and Gaudens have used pro-space technology to provide a different approach to relaxing the finiteness conditions of the author's earlier work [loc. cit.].