Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 November 2018
In this paper, we introduce a new algebraic notion, weakly symmetric Lie algebras, to give an algebraic description of an interesting class of homogeneous Riemann-Finsler spaces, weakly symmetric Finsler spaces. Using this new definition, we are able to give a classification of weakly symmetric Finsler spaces with dimensions 2 and 3. Finally, we show that all the non-Riemannian reversible weakly symmetric Finsler spaces we find are non-Berwaldian and with vanishing $\text{S}$-curvature. This means that reversible non-Berwaldian Finsler spaces with vanishing $\text{S}$-curvature may exist at large. Hence the generalized volume comparison theorems due to $\text{Z}$. Shen are valid for a rather large class of Finsler spaces.