diff --git a/cachematrix.R b/cachematrix.R
index a50be65aa44..a82cae4da37 100644
--- a/cachematrix.R
+++ b/cachematrix.R
@@ -1,10 +1,22 @@
-## Put comments here that give an overall description of what your
-## functions do
-
-## Write a short comment describing this function
-
+## Implements a function that allows storage of a matrix
+## and provides an interface to allow for caching of data
+## and the inverse matrix generated
 makeCacheMatrix <- function(x = matrix()) {
-
+    inverse <- NULL
+    ##set signature
+    set <- function(y) {
+      x <<- y
+      inverse <<- NULL
+    }
+    
+    ##get signature
+    get <- function() x
+    
+    setinverse <- function(soln) inverse <<- soln
+    getinverse <- function() inverse
+    list(set = set, get = get,
+         setinverse = setinverse,
+         getinverse = getinverse)
 }
 
 
@@ -12,4 +24,50 @@ makeCacheMatrix <- function(x = matrix()) {
 
 cacheSolve <- function(x, ...) {
         ## Return a matrix that is the inverse of 'x'
+  
+  s <- x$getinverse()
+  if(!is.null(s)) {
+    message("getting cached data")
+    return(s)
+  }
+  data <- x$get()
+  s <- solve(data, ...)
+  x$setinverse(s)
+  s
 }
+
+## A more robust implementation of the above
+## that removes the need for the 'cacheSolve' function
+## and defines the inverse directly with the setinverse
+## method. The getinverse method now looks for a cached
+## inverse matrix, or calls setinverse and caches the
+## result
+cMatrixWithInverse <- function(x = matrix()) {
+  inverse <- NULL
+ 
+  set <- function(y) {
+    x <<- y
+    inverse <<- NULL
+  }
+  get <- function() x
+  
+  ##solve for the inverse if setinverse is called
+  setinverse <- function() inverse <<- solve(x)
+  
+  ##check for cached inverse, or setinverse directly
+  getinverse <- function(){
+    ##check the cache
+    if(!is.null(inverse)) {
+      message("getinverse: getting cached data")
+      return(inverse)
+    }
+    ##no cache, create inverse and return it
+    setinverse()
+    inverse
+  }
+  
+  list(set = set, get = get,
+       setinverse = setinverse,
+       getinverse = getinverse
+      )
+}
\ No newline at end of file