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 S-curvature. This means that reversible non-Berwaldian Finsler spaces with vanishing S-curvature may exist at large. Hence the generalized volume comparison theorems due to Z. Shen are valid for a rather large class of Finsler spaces.

In this paper, we study a long existing open problem on Landsberg metrics in Finsler geometry. We consider Finsler metrics defined by a Riemannian metric and a $1$-form on a manifold. We show that a \emph{regular} Finsler metric in this form is Landsbergian if and only if it is Berwaldian. We further show that there is a two-parameter family of functions, $\phi=\phi(s)$, for which there are a Riemannian metric $\alpha$ and a $1$-form $\beta$ on a manifold $M$ such that the scalar function $F=\alpha \phi (\beta/\alpha)$ on $TM$ is an almost regular Landsberg metric, but not a Berwald metric.

In the paper, we study the shortest time problem on a Riemannian space with an external force. We show that such problem can be converted to a shortest path problem on a Randers space. By choosing an appropriate external force on the Euclidean space, we obtain a non-trivial Randers metric of zero flag curvature. We also show that any positively complete Randers metric with zero flag curvature must be locally Minkowskian.