A representation of interval orders through a bi-utility function

Abstract

The elaboration of preference relations and their representations trace their source to early economic theory. Classical representations of preferences theorems rely on Debreu–Eilenberg’s theorems in the topological setting. An important class of preferences consists of interval orders. A natural question is to achieve a bi-utility representation for interval orders. We suggest to introduce a condition reminiscent of N. Wiener’s early works on the relativeness of positions. We obtain a bi-utility representation through the precedence and succession relations.