Final answer:
A zig-zag going up and down with an overall downward line describes a scenario where data points have fluctuations but a general downward trend. This pattern can reflect economic data fluctuations between unemployment and inflation, or be used in visual arts to depict movement. The perception of the trend can be influenced by the selected start and end points on a graph.
Step-by-step explanation:
The pattern "zig-zag going up and down (overall downward line)" often describes a graphical representation where data points fluctuate up and down but there's a general downward trend. For example, in the context of economics, there may be years where unemployment decreases but inflation increases, and vice versa, leading to a zig-zag pattern when plotted on a graph. However, if the overall direction of the line across a certain period shows a decline, then we can say that, despite the fluctuations, the trend is downward. This can also be used in visual arts to describe motion or direction using lines or in describing patterns in data assessment in mathematics where the general trend of a dataset is characterized by its increase or decrease.
Manipulating the perception of graph trends can be achieved by carefully selecting the starting and ending points. For instance, starting a line graph at a high point of unemployment can give the impression of a generally decreasing trend towards a more recent year, even though there may have been fluctuations between those two points, thus influencing the viewer's interpretation of the data.