ɪnwˌɪtʃ kjˈuː ɪz ɐ θˌɜːmoʊdaɪnˈæmɪk kwˈɔntᵻɾi, ðˈɛn kjˈuː ɪz nˈoʊn æz ðə "kˌæɹɪktɚɹˈɪstɪk stˈeɪt fˈʌŋkʃən" ʌvðɪ ɑːnsˈɑːmbəl kˌɔːɹɪspˈɑːndɪŋ tuː "pˈiː".
in which Q is a thermodynamic quantity, then Q is known as the "characteristic state function" of the ensemble corresponding to "P".