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This is the starting part of a sentence in my paper.

Here 'smoothness means fast decay' is a whole sentence. Is it appropriate to use it in this way? Is it too long here?

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    The sentence Smoothness means fast decay.... is grammatical. Whether it is meaningful or appropriate is impossible to judge from the little information that you provide.
    – Ronald Sole
    Apr 23, 2019 at 10:02
  • Is it a common practice in writing?
    – wdlang
    Apr 23, 2019 at 10:03
  • Is what a common practice?
    – Ronald Sole
    Apr 23, 2019 at 10:05
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    It is not clear what you are asking. Is "Smoothness means fast decay" the first sentence in your paper? Or is "Here 'smoothness means fast decay' is a whole sentence." the first sentence in your paper?
    – James Random
    Apr 23, 2019 at 10:55
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    You can't start a sentence with a title, really. And that sentence cannot be a proper title. It is, of course, a full sentence as it has a subject, a verb and a predicate.
    – Lambie
    Apr 23, 2019 at 17:26

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The sentence is correct

I come from a mathematical background and I think you're probably talking about Fourier transforms. If it is obvious through your title or through the following sentences, then this sentence alone is adequate, however, it could be confusing if you don't state it outright in the sentence. In that case, it might be better to start with "In Fourier transforms, smoothness means fast decay."

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    The grammaticality is not the issue. The issue is: Can it be a title? I doubt it. It's a principle.
    – Lambie
    Apr 23, 2019 at 17:27
  • The question was not about whether something can be the title of a paper. The "title" mentioned in the comment seems to be this question's title, which is a quote from the OP's paper.
    – laugh salutes Monica C
    Apr 23, 2019 at 21:33
  • @laugh You got it.
    – wdlang
    Apr 23, 2019 at 21:41

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