Which of the following is a commonly encountered nonlinear trend type when visualizing quantitative data?

• A. Random walk
• B. $\mathrm{Exponential} \mathrm{trend}$
• C. $\mathrm{Constant} \mathrm{trend}$
• D. $\mathrm{Linear} \mathrm{trend}$

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand what a trend in quantitative data means: it refers to a long-term increase or decrease in the data values over time or another independent variable.
2. Recognize that a linear trend is a straight-line increase or decrease, represented by an equation like \(y = a + bx\), where \(b\) is constant.
3. Identify that a constant trend means the data values do not change significantly over time, essentially a flat line.
4. Know that a random walk is a type of stochastic process where each value depends on the previous one plus a random change, which is not a deterministic trend but rather a pattern of randomness.
5. Learn that an exponential trend is a common nonlinear trend where the rate of change increases or decreases multiplicatively, often modeled by \(y = a \times b^x\), where \(b\) is the base of the exponential function, making it a frequently encountered nonlinear trend in data visualization.