Final answer:
Scheduling according to the earliest due date tends to minimize average tardiness but may not minimize average flow time.
Step-by-step explanation:
Scheduling according to the earliest due date tends to minimize average tardiness. Average flow time refers to the time it takes for a job to move through the entire scheduling process, from its release to completion. On the other hand, average tardiness measures the delay of a job from its due date.
When scheduling tasks based on their earliest due dates, you prioritize completing the jobs that have the closest deadlines first. This reduces the likelihood of tasks being delayed and minimizes the average tardiness. However, it might not necessarily minimize the average flow time.