The Laplace transform generalizes the Fourier transform by allowing the parameter s to be any complex number rather than purely imaginary. The Laplace transform of a signal x(t) is defined as the integral of x(t) multiplied by e^-st from negative infinity to positive infinity. The region of convergence specifies the values of s for which the Laplace transform converges. Within the region of convergence, the Laplace transform provides information about both the growth and frequency content of a signal, unlike the Fourier transform.