Limits of Finite Dimensional Nest Algebras

We introduce order conserving embeddings as a more general form of order preserving embeddings between finite dimensional nest algebras. The structure of these embeddings is determined, in terms of order indecomposable decompositions, and they are shown to be determined up to inner conjugacy by their induced maps on $K_0$. Classifications of direct systems and limit algebras are obtained in terms of dimension distribution groups.