Quasitransitive relation

The mathematical notion of quasitransitivity is a weakened version of transitivity that is used in social choice theory and microeconomics.

Informally, a relation is quasitransitive if it is symmetric for some values and transitive elsewhere.

The concept was introduced by Sen (1969) to study the consequences of Arrow's theorem.

Alternately, for a relation T, define the asymmetric or "strict" part P: Then T is quasitransitive if and only if P is transitive.

[1] Similarly, the Sorites paradox can be resolved by weakening assumed transitivity of certain relations to quasitransitivity.