Final answer:
To estimate the doll sales in 2001, substitute x = 8 into the provided quartic function and calculate the result, which represents the sales in thousands.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subject of the question is Mathematics, specifically relating to the use of quartic functions to model real-world scenarios. To estimate the number of dolls sold in 2001 using the provided quartic function, we substitute x = 8 (since 2001 is 8 years from 1993). The function is given as:
f(x) = -0.002x4 + 0.025x3 - 0.364x2 - 7.243x + 86.993.
By substituting x = 8 into the function, we get:
f(8) = -0.002(8)4 + 0.025(8)3 - 0.364(8)2 - 7.243(8) + 86.993.
After performing the calculations, we find the estimated number of dolls sold in 2001, expressed in thousands.