Final answer:
The SQL COUNT function works with any data type, including integers, numerics, and character strings. The term 'quantitative discrete data' refers to counts that result in specific numerical values, such as the number of phone calls received each day.
Step-by-step explanation:
In an SQL query, the built-in function COUNT is used to count the number of rows that match a certain condition of the query. The COUNT function works with columns containing data of any data type. This includes integers (a), numerics (b), and character strings (c). Thus, the correct answer is (e) a, b, and c.
Quantitative discrete data represent counts of items and take on specific numerical values. For instance, the number of phone calls you receive for each day of the week, which would result in values like zero or any whole number, is an example of quantitative discrete data.