Analysis based on the mathematical function first formulated by Jean-Baptiste-Joseph
Fourier in 1807. The function, known as the Fourier transform, describes the sinusoidal
pattern of any fluctuating pattern in the physical world in terms of its amplitude
and its phase. It has broad applications in biomedicine, e.g., analysis of the x-ray
crystallography data pivotal in identifying the double helical nature of DNA and in
analysis of other molecules, including viruses, and the modified back-projection algorithm
universally used in computerized tomography imaging, etc. (From Segen, The Dictionary
of Modern Medicine, 1992)