Numerical representation for lower quasi-continuous preferences

Abstract

A weaker than usual continuity condition for acyclic preferences is introduced. For preorders this condition turns out to be equivalent to lower continuity, but in general this is not true. By using this condition, a numerical representation which is upper semicontinuous is obtained. This fact guarantees the existence of maxima of such a function, and therefore the existence of maximal elements of the binary relation.Numerical representation, maximal elements, lower quasi-continuous preferences