In the case of a certain product, the number sold per day, Zv, increases, the lower the sales
price Pv. Conversely, the higher the Pv, the lower the Zv.
A company employee has determined that it is optimal for the company when the number of pieces sold per
day is Zo.
The process diagram shows a strategy which is to lead to the number sold per day amounting to Zo
at the end ("STOP").

Example 1
Which of the two statements about the strategy is/are correct?
I. If not enough pieces are sold, the sales price is - correctly - reduced.
II. It can happen that a sales price which is already too low is further reduced.
(A) Only statement I is correct.
(A) Only statement I is correct. correct
(B) Only statement II is correct.
(B) Only statement II is correct. incorrect
(C) Both statements are correct.
(C) Both statements are correct. incorrect
(D) Neither of the two statements is correct.
(D) Neither of the two statements is correct. incorrect
Degree of difficulty: low to medium
Solution
Statement I refers to a situation in which too few pieces are sold. In such a situation,
Zv is smaller than Zo. In this case, the answer to the question at Decision
Point X ("Zv < Zo?") is "YES," and the operation
"Reduce Pv" follows correctly. Statement I is therefore correct.
Statement II refers to a situation in which the sales price is too low. As a result, too
many pieces are sold: Zv is greater than Zo. In this case, the answer to
the question at Decision Point X ("Zv < Zo?") is "NO,"
and the answer to the question at Decision Point Y ("Zv > Zo?")
is "YES." The operation "Increase Pv" thus follows correctly.
Statement II is therefore false.
The correct solution to this item is therefore A.
Example 2
Which of the two statements about the strategy is/are correct, when the contents of decision points X and Y are exchanged?
I. A correct price is reduced.
II. A price which is too high is further increased.
(A) Only statement I is correct.
(A) Only statement I is correct. incorrect
(B) Only statement II is correct.
(B) Only statement II is correct. correct
(C) Both statements are correct.
(C) Both statements are correct. incorrect
(D) Neither of the two statements is correct.
(D) Neither of the two statements is correct. incorrect
Degree of difficulty: medium
Solution
Statement I is not correct. When a price is correct, the number of pieces sold Zv corresponds
to the optimal number Zo. The questions "Zv < Zo" and "Zv. > Zo"
would be answered "NO" and the "STOP"
sign would be reached without any change in price.
It is a correct price in changed in this diagram (in this case reduced) in this diagram.
Statement II is correct. It says that a price which is too high is increased
further as soon as the contents of the two decision points are exchanged.
When the price is too high, Zv < Zo. The question posed at position
X is then answered "NO"; the question at position Y is answered "YES" and the price is raised.
The solution is therefore (B), since only statement II is correct.