// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did preference relation say to its date? You're my first choice.

The term preference relation is used to refer to orderings that describe human preferences for one thing over an other.

• In mathematics, preferences may be modeled as a weak ordering or a semiorder, two different types of binary relation. One specific variation of weak ordering, a total preorder (= a connected, reflexive and transitive relation), is also sometimes called a preference relation.
• In computer science, machine learning algorithms are used to infer preferences, and the binary representation of the output of a preference learning algorithm is called a preference relation, regardless of whether it fits the weak ordering or semiorder mathematical models.
• Preference relations are also widely used in economics; see preference (economics).