Spinodal decomposition both complete one cycle per second—but they represent different frequencies in the Fourier transform. Hence, frequency no longer measures the number of cycles per unit time, but is closely related.) If A(β) is the amplitude of a Fourier component of wavelength λ and wavenumber β = 2π/λ the spatial variation in composition can be expressed by the Fourier integral: in which the coefficients are defined by the inverse relationship: Substituting, we obtain on equating coefficients: This is an ordinary differential equation that has the solution: in which "A(β)" is the initial amplitude of the Fourier component of wave wavenumber β
Parts-per notation quotients are pure-number coefficients with positive values less than 1. When parts-per notations, including the percent symbol (%), are used in regular prose (as opposed to mathematical expressions), they are still pure-number dimensionless quantities. However, they generally take the literal “parts per” meaning of a comparative ratio (e.g., “2 ppb” would generally be interpreted as “two parts in a billion parts”). Parts-per notations may be expressed in terms of any unit of the same measure. For instance, the coefficient of thermal expansion of a certain brass alloy, "α" = 18.7 ppm/°C, may be expressed as 18.7 (µm/m)/°C, or as 18.7