diff --git a/cachematrix.R b/cachematrix.R
index a50be65aa44..94dca87c287 100644
--- a/cachematrix.R
+++ b/cachematrix.R
@@ -1,15 +1,38 @@
-## Put comments here that give an overall description of what your
-## functions do
-
-## Write a short comment describing this function
+# The functions below provide a way to cache matrix inversions
 
+# This function creates a special matrix which is really
+# a list containing a function to
+# 1. set the value of the matrix
+# 2. get the value of the matrix
+# 3. set the value of the inverse
+# 4. get the value of the inverse
 makeCacheMatrix <- function(x = matrix()) {
-
+  inv <- NULL
+  set <- function(y) {
+    x <<- y
+    inv <<- NULL
+  }
+  get <- function() x
+  setinverse <- function(inverse) inv <<- inverse
+  getinverse <- function() inv
+  list(set=set, get=get, setinverse=setinverse, 
+       getinverse=getinverse)
 }
 
 
-## Write a short comment describing this function
-
+# The following function calculates the inverse of the special "matrix"
+# created with makeCacheMatrix. 
+# However, it first checks for an already cached inverse and skips
+# the computation if it finds one.
 cacheSolve <- function(x, ...) {
-        ## Return a matrix that is the inverse of 'x'
+  ## Return a matrix that is the inverse of 'x'
+  inv <- x$getinverse()
+  if(!is.null(inv)) {
+    message("getting cached data!")
+    return(inv)
+  }
+  data <- x$get()
+  inv <- solve(data, ...)
+  x$setinverse(inv)
+  inv
 }