Calculating a price index ratio of price levels at two different times Annual inflation P(t+1)/P(t) Cumulative inflation [P(t+N)/P(t)]^(1/n) internal purchasing power amount of goods and services that can be purchased with $1 in the US 1/P(t,$) external purchasing power the amount of goods and services that can be purchased with $1 outside the US 1/S(t, $/x) * 1/P(t, x) necessary to purchase some amount of pounds with dollar; examine purchasing power of those pounds in Britain