diff --git a/src/internal/Loop.h b/src/internal/Loop.h
index b68982ab7..27f53a31b 100644
--- a/src/internal/Loop.h
+++ b/src/internal/Loop.h
@@ -51,4 +51,4 @@ template<int Rows> class EiLoop<0, Rows>
     }
 };
 
-#endif //EI_LOOP_H
+#endif // EI_LOOP_H
diff --git a/src/internal/Matrix.h b/src/internal/Matrix.h
index 19e3b313d..d20fd9214 100644
--- a/src/internal/Matrix.h
+++ b/src/internal/Matrix.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #define EI_MATRIX_H
 
 #include "Util.h"
+#include "Numeric.h"
 #include "Object.h"
 #include "MatrixRef.h"
 #include "MatrixStorage.h"
diff --git a/src/internal/Numeric.h b/src/internal/Numeric.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..126993609
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/internal/Numeric.h
@@ -0,0 +1,177 @@
+
+// This file is part of Eigen, a lightweight C++ template library
+// for linear algebra. Eigen itself is part of the KDE project.
+//
+// Copyright (C) 2006-2007 Benoit Jacob <jacob@math.jussieu.fr>
+//
+// Eigen is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the
+// terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software
+// Foundation; either version 2 or (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// Eigen is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
+// WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS
+// FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more
+// details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
+// with Eigen; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51
+// Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
+//
+// As a special exception, if other files instantiate templates or use macros
+// or functions from this file, or you compile this file and link it
+// with other works to produce a work based on this file, this file does not
+// by itself cause the resulting work to be covered by the GNU General Public
+// License. This exception does not invalidate any other reasons why a work
+// based on this file might be covered by the GNU General Public License.
+
+#ifndef EI_TRAITS_H
+#define EI_TRAITS_H
+
+template<typename T> struct EiTraits;
+
+template<> struct EiTraits<int>
+{
+  typedef int Real;
+  typedef double FloatingPoint;
+  typedef double RealFloatingPoint;
+  
+  static const int Epsilon = 0;
+  static const bool IsComplex = false;
+  static const bool HasFloatingPoint = false;
+  
+  static int real(const int& x) { return x; }
+  static int imag(const int& x) { EI_UNUSED(x); return 0; }
+  static int conj(const int& x) { return x; }
+  static double sqrt(const int& x) { return std::sqrt(static_cast<double>(x)); }
+  static int abs(const int& x) { return std::abs(x); }
+  static int abs2(const int& x) { return x*x; }
+  static int random()
+  {
+    // "rand()%21" would be bad. always use the high-order bits, not the low-order bits.
+    // note: here (gcc 4.1) static_cast<int> seems to round the nearest int.
+    // I don't know if that's part of the standard.
+    return -10 + static_cast<int>(20.0 * (rand() / (RAND_MAX + 1.0)));
+  }
+};
+
+template<> struct EiTraits<float>
+{
+  typedef float Real;
+  typedef float FloatingPoint;
+  typedef float RealFloatingPoint;
+  
+  static const float Epsilon;
+  static const bool IsComplex = false;
+  static const bool HasFloatingPoint = true;
+  
+  static float real(const float& x) { return x; }
+  static float imag(const float& x) { EI_UNUSED(x); return 0; }
+  static float conj(const float& x) { return x; }
+  static float sqrt(const float& x) { return std::sqrt(x); }
+  static float abs(const float& x) { return std::abs(x); }
+  static float abs2(const float& x) { return x*x; }
+  static float random()
+  {
+    return 20.0f * rand() / RAND_MAX - 10.0f;
+  }
+};
+
+const float EiTraits<float>::Epsilon = 1e-5f;
+
+template<> struct EiTraits<double>
+{
+  typedef double Real;
+  typedef double FloatingPoint;
+  typedef double RealFloatingPoint;
+  
+  static const double Epsilon;
+  static const bool IsComplex = false;
+  static const bool HasFloatingPoint = true;
+  
+  static double real(const double& x) { return x; }
+  static double imag(const double& x) { EI_UNUSED(x); return 0; }
+  static double conj(const double& x) { return x; }
+  static double sqrt(const double& x) { return std::sqrt(x); }
+  static double abs(const double& x) { return std::abs(x); }
+  static double abs2(const double& x) { return x*x; }
+  static double random()
+  {
+    return 20.0 * rand() / RAND_MAX - 10.0;
+  }
+};
+
+const double EiTraits<double>::Epsilon = 1e-11;
+
+template<typename _Real> struct EiTraits<std::complex<_Real> >
+{
+  typedef _Real Real;
+  typedef std::complex<Real> Complex;
+  typedef std::complex<double> FloatingPoint;
+  typedef typename EiTraits<Real>::FloatingPoint RealFloatingPoint;
+  
+  static const Real Epsilon;
+  static const bool IsComplex = true;
+  static const bool HasFloatingPoint = EiTraits<Real>::HasFloatingPoint;
+  
+  static Real real(const Complex& x) { return std::real(x); }
+  static Real imag(const Complex& x) { return std::imag(x); }
+  static Complex conj(const Complex& x) { return std::conj(x); }
+  static FloatingPoint sqrt(const Complex& x)
+  { return std::sqrt(static_cast<FloatingPoint>(x)); }
+  static RealFloatingPoint abs(const Complex& x)
+  { return std::abs(static_cast<FloatingPoint>(x)); }
+  static Real abs2(const Complex& x)
+  { return std::real(x) * std::real(x) + std::imag(x) * std::imag(x); }
+  static Complex random()
+  {
+    return Complex(EiTraits<Real>::random(), EiTraits<Real>::random());
+  }
+};
+
+template<typename _Real>
+const _Real EiTraits<std::complex<_Real> >::Epsilon
+  = EiTraits<_Real>::Epsilon;
+
+template<typename T> typename EiTraits<T>::Real EiReal(const T& x)
+{ return EiTraits<T>::real(x); }
+
+template<typename T> typename EiTraits<T>::Real EiImag(const T& x)
+{ return EiTraits<T>::imag(x); }
+
+template<typename T> T EiConj(const T& x)
+{ return EiTraits<T>::conj(x); }
+
+template<typename T> typename EiTraits<T>::FloatingPoint EiSqrt(const T& x)
+{ return EiTraits<T>::sqrt(x); }
+
+template<typename T> typename EiTraits<T>::RealFloatingPoint EiAbs(const T& x)
+{ return EiTraits<T>::abs(x); }
+
+template<typename T> typename EiTraits<T>::Real EiAbs2(const T& x)
+{ return EiTraits<T>::abs2(x); }
+
+template<typename T> T EiRandom()
+{ return EiTraits<T>::random(); }
+
+template<typename T> bool EiNegligible(const T& a, const T& b)
+{
+  return(EiAbs(a) <= EiAbs(b) * EiTraits<T>::Epsilon);
+}
+
+template<typename T> bool EiApprox(const T& a, const T& b)
+{
+  if(EiTraits<T>::IsFloat)
+    return(EiAbs(a - b) <= std::min(EiAbs(a), EiAbs(b)) * EiTraits<T>::Epsilon);
+  else
+    return(a == b);
+}
+
+template<typename T> bool EiLessThanOrApprox(const T& a, const T& b)
+{
+  if(EiTraits<T>::IsFloat)
+    return(a < b || EiApprox(a, b));
+  else
+    return(a <= b);
+}
+
+#endif // EI_TRAITS_H
diff --git a/test/main.h b/test/main.h
index 1cdc781d7..06f295ece 100644
--- a/test/main.h
+++ b/test/main.h
@@ -47,4 +47,35 @@ class EigenTest : public QObject
     void testMatrixManip();
 };
 
+template<typename T> T TestEpsilon();
+template<> int TestEpsilon<int>() { return 0; }
+template<> float TestEpsilon<float>() { return 1e-2f; }
+template<> double TestEpsilon<double>() { return 1e-4; }
+template<typename T> T TestEpsilon<std::complex<T> >() { return TestEpsilon<T>(); }
+
+template<typename T> bool TestNegligible(const T& a, const T& b)
+{
+  return(EiAbs(a) <= EiAbs(b) * TestEpsilon<T>());
+}
+
+template<typename T> bool TestApprox(const T& a, const T& b)
+{
+  if(EiTraits<T>::IsFloat)
+    return(EiAbs(a - b) <= std::min(EiAbs(a), EiAbs(b)) * TestEpsilon<T>());
+  else
+    return(a == b);
+}
+
+template<typename T> bool TestLessThanOrApprox(const T& a, const T& b)
+{
+  if(EiTraits<T>::IsFloat)
+    return(a < b || EiApprox(a, b));
+  else
+    return(a <= b);
+}
+
+#define QVERIFY_NEGLIGIBLE(a, b) QVERIFY(TestNegligible(a, b))
+#define QVERIFY_APPROX(a, b) QVERIFY(TestApprox(a, b))
+#define QVERIFY_LESS_THAN_OR_APPROX(a, b) QVERIFY(TestLessThanOrApprox(a, b))
+
 #endif // EI_TEST_MAIN_H