Some generalizations of Back's theorem (Q386859)

Let \(X\) be a topological space. A \textit{preorder} \(\preccurlyeq\) on a subset \(D \subseteq X\) is a reflexive, transitive binary relation \(\preccurlyeq \,\, \subseteq D \times D\), and it is said to be: (i) a \textit{closed} preorder if it is closed on the topological product \(D \times D\); (ii) a \textit{continuous} preorder if for every \(a \in D\) the sets \([a,+\infty[ = \{ x \in D: a \preccurlyeq x\}\) and \(]-\infty,a] = \{x \in D: x \preccurlyeq a\}\) are closed in the subspace \(D\). If the preorder \(\preccurlyeq\) is \textit{total} (meaning that for every \(x,y \in D\) one has \(x \preccurlyeq y\) or \(y \preccurlyeq x\)), then \(\preccurlyeq\) is closed iff it is continuous iff the order topology (generated by \(\preccurlyeq\)) is coarser than the subspace topology. \(\mathcal{P}\) denotes the set of all preorders defined on closed subsets of \(X\), and \(\mathcal{P}_{\mathcal{L}}\) denotes the set of all total preorders defined on closed subsets of \(X\). \(\mathcal{U}\) denotes the set of all continuous real partial maps defined on closed subsets of \(X\).NEWLINENEWLINEA continuous partial map \(u: D \rightarrow \mathbb{R}\) is said to be a \textit{utility function} for a preorder \(\preccurlyeq\) if \(D = D(\preccurlyeq)\) (meaning that \(\preccurlyeq\) is a preorder on \(D\)) and whenever \(x,y \in D\), \(x \preccurlyeq y\) implies \(u(x) \leqslant u(y)\) and \(u \prec y\) implies \(u(x) < u(y)\).NEWLINENEWLINE\textit{K. Back}'s Theorem [J. Math. Econ. 15, 129--142 (1986; Zbl 0606.90014)] states as follows: let \(X\) be a locally compact, second countable space, and consider \(\mathcal{P}_{\mathcal{L}}\) and \(\mathcal{U}\) endowed, respectively, with the topology of closed convergence (also known as the \textit{Fell topology}) and with the \(\tau_c\) topology, which is a generalization of the compact-open topology. Under these assumptions, there is a countinuous map \(\nu_\mathcal{L}: \mathcal{P}_\mathcal{L} \rightarrow \mathcal{U}\) such that \(\nu_\mathcal{L}(\preccurlyeq)\) is an utility function for \(\preccurlyeq\) whenever \(\preccurlyeq \,\, \in\,\, \mathcal{P}_\mathcal{L}\).NEWLINENEWLINEIn the paper under review, the authors generalize Back's Theorem to non-metrizable spaces with a family of not necessarily total preorders. More precisely, they consider a regular space \(X\) having a coarser locally compact secound countable topology and they associate to the space of preorders \(\mathcal{P}\) a suitable space of preorders \(\tilde{\mathcal{P}}\) satisfying the hypotheses of Back's Theorem for non-total preorders; and then the existence of a continuous map \(\nu\) such that \(\nu(\preccurlyeq)\) is an isotone function -- which is a utility function when \(\preccurlyeq\) is closed -- is proved. Other similar generalizations are established.