diff --git a/dev/operations-with-names.R b/dev/operations-with-names.R
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a3058cc6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dev/operations-with-names.R
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+matsum <- function(A, ...){
+  UseMethod("matsum")
+}
+
+`+.latexMatrix` <- function(e1, e2){
+  matsum(e1, e2)
+}
+
+matsum.latexMatrix <- function(A, ..., as.numeric=TRUE){
+  
+  matrices <- list(...)
+  
+  if (any(sapply(matrices, function(x) !inherits(x, "latexMatrix")))){
+    stop("arguments are not all of class 'latexMatrix'")
+  }
+  
+  matlib:::numericDimensions(A)
+  
+  dimnames <- dimnames(A)
+  for (M in matrices)   {
+    matlib:::numericDimensions(M)
+    if (!isTRUE(all.equal(dimnames, dimnames(M)))){
+      stop("matrix dimension names don't match")
+    }
+  }
+  
+  wrapper <- getWrapper(A)
+  
+  if (as.numeric && is.numeric(A) && all(sapply(matrices, is.numeric))){
+    A <- as.numeric(A)
+    dimA <- dim(A)
+    matrices <- lapply(matrices, as.numeric)
+    for (i in seq_along(matrices)){
+      if (!all(dim(matrices[[i]]) == dimA)) 
+        stop ("the matrices are not conformable for addition")
+      A <- A + matrices[[i]]
+    }
+  } else {
+    A <- getBody(A)
+    dimA <- dim(A)
+    for (M in matrices){
+      M <- getBody(M)
+      if(!all(dim(A) == dim(M)))
+        stop('matricies are not conformable for addition')
+      A <- matrix(paste(sapply(A, matlib:::parenthesize), "+", 
+                        sapply(M, matlib:::parenthesize)), 
+                  dimA[1L], dimA[2L])
+    }
+  }
+  A <- latexMatrix(A)
+  A <- matlib:::updateWrapper(A, wrapper)
+  Dimnames(A) <- dimnames
+  A
+}
+
+if (FALSE) {
+  A <- latexMatrix("a", 3, 3, rownames=letters[1:3], colnames=LETTERS[1:3])
+  B <- latexMatrix("b", 3, 3, rownames=letters[1:3], colnames=LETTERS[1:3])
+  C <- latexMatrix("c", 3, 3, rownames=letters[4:6], colnames=LETTERS[4:6])
+  D <- latexMatrix("d", 3, 3)
+  A
+  B
+  C
+  D
+  A + B
+  A + C
+  A + D
+}