The output generated by a specific combination of factors is called a variant, an alternative or an example respectively. Each factor can be observed in different values, but not all values usually can be observed in variants with acceptable success. To each variant, a certain value can be assigned to each factor. Some variants have identical values at a specific factor, others don't. This overlap of identical factors is used in the FACTORFINDER-Procedure to determine the importance of the factors.
All variants together form the base of examples. This example base is not a sample from all possible variants in the statistic sense. It does not reflect some population of examples. The maximum size of an example base is determined be the number of values that is known to each factor and by the number of factors.
An ideal can not be observed directly but we can infer it from observed variants. From the perspective of the analyst, ideals are only theoretical. Ideals combine goal-promoting values in each factor. Ideals may be complemented by other different ideals.
A radio station can play folk music or with the same success pop music. Both attract a mass audience and can be considered being an ideal.
Ideals are at the center of a cluster of real examples that have identical core attributes and that are characterized by acceptable success. All examples clustered around one ideal differ only in factors of subcritical relevance. Acceptable variants that differ in critically important factors are clustered around different ideals.
The model of the existance of ideals creates is linked to the absence of a specific value at a specific factor. This notion of relevance is absence-oriented. It requires the existance of ideals as importance is understood as failure in the case of the absence of specific values in important factors.
In real situations, we do not know the ideals with absolute certainty. Solely, examples that surpass a threshold of the target criterion or that fail can be observed. The only knowledge we can acquire concerns real examples and whether those real examples show acceptable success or not. The attributes of the ideals must be left open and only can be inferred from observed examples.