Final answer:
The scenario with players being eliminated by half after each round in a tennis tournament exemplifies an exponential pattern, where a consistent percentage decrease is observed, distinguishing it from linear or logistic growth.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the scenario provided, during a tennis tournament, half of the players are eliminated after each round. This is an example of an exponential pattern, not a linear one. The number of players diminishes by a consistent percentage (50% in this case) after each round. This is opposed to a linear pattern where there would be a constant number of players eliminated in each round regardless of the starting number. Since the number of players is cut in half repeatedly, this process results in a rapid decrease, which is characteristic of exponential decay.
As time progresses in an exponential growth scenario, the quantity either increases or decreases by a consistent percentage (multiplicative factor), and the size of that change is proportional to the current amount. For example, a population showing exponential growth may double in size each period. On the other hand, logistic growth starts off exponential but then the growth rate slows down and levels off, often due to resource limitations.