a) Identify the top three trendline methods among Exponential, Linear, Logarithmic, Polynomial (with order 6), Power, and Moving Average (with period 2). You can simply use the plots to identify these methods here.

b) Compare the three methods that you have identified in part (a) above using MAPE and find the best method.

c) Top-down selling tactic is initially offering high-priced items to a customer to pull WTP (reference price) up regardless of whether the customer is interested in or is able to afford these high-priced items. Suppose that you are a) a real estate agent selling houses, b) a mail catalog designer for a blouse company, c) a Wal-Mart store employee stocking pasta shelves, how would you implement the top-down selling tactic?

d) When the apartment rental market cools down, the apartment owners think of reducing the rental prices either directly or indirectly to stimulate the demand. Direct reduction is simply reducing the annual rent. One of the indirect reduction strategies is keeping the rent constant but not charging any the rent for the first month of a 12-month lease (also called free first-month). Among these two strategies, which one keeps the reference price higher? Explain. Is it in the interest of the apartment owners to keep the reference price higher?

 

A 1 Date Confirmed Cases 1-Mar 75 3 2-Mar 100 4 3-Mar 124 4-Mar 158 6. 5-Mar 221 7 6-Mar 319 8 7-Mar 435 9 8-Mar 541 10 9-Mar 704 11 10-Mar 994 12 11-Mar 1301 13 12-Mar 1697 14 13-Mar 2247 15 14-Mar 2943 16 15-Mar 3680 17 16-Mar 4663 18 17-Mar 6411 19 18-Mar 9259 20 19-Mar 13789 21 20-Mar 19383 22 21-Mar 24207 23 22-Mar 33566 24 23-Mar 43774 2.