Definition:Preordering

Definition
Let $S$ be a set.

A preordering (or preorder, or quasi-ordering) on $S$ is a relation $\mathcal R$ on $S$ such that:


 * $\mathcal R$ is reflexive, that is, $\forall a \in S: a \mathcal R a$;
 * $\mathcal R$ is transitive, that is, $\forall a, b, c \in S: a \mathcal R b \land b \mathcal R c \implies a \mathcal R c$.

Symbols used to define such a general preordering relation are often variants on $\precsim$ or $\precapprox$.

A symbol for a preordering can be reversed, and the sense is likewise inverted:


 * $a \precsim b \iff b \succsim a$

Ordering
If a preordering is also antisymmetric, that is, $\forall a, b \in S: a \mathcal R b \land b \mathcal R a \implies a = b$, then $\mathcal R$ is an ordering.

Equivalence Relation
If a preordering is also symmetric, that is, $\forall a, b \in S: a \mathcal R b \implies b \mathcal R a$, then $\mathcal R$ is an equivalence relation.

Partial vs. Total Orderings
Note that this definition of preordering does not demand that every pair of elements of $S$ is related by $\precsim$. The way we have defined a preordering, they may be, or they may not be, depending on the context.

If it is the case that $\precsim$ is a connected relation, i.e. that every pair of elements is related by $\precsim$, then $\precsim$ is called a total preordering.

If it is not the case that $\precsim$ is connected, then $\precsim$ is called a partial preordering.