diff --git a/mat.cc b/mat.cc
index 3a58b6a..469246e 100644
--- a/mat.cc
+++ b/mat.cc
@@ -3173,6 +3173,27 @@ T alpha= parity? p.parity():1;
 axpy(alpha,p,direction);
 }
 
+template<typename T>
+NRMat<T>::NRMat(const WeightPermutation<int,T> &wp, const bool direction)
+{
+int n=wp.size();
+resize(n,n);
+clear(); 
+axpy(wp.weight,wp.perm,direction);
+}
+
+template<typename T>
+NRMat<T>::NRMat(const PermutationAlgebra<int,T> &ap, const bool direction)
+{
+int na= ap.size();
+if(na<=0) laerror("cannot deduce matrix size from empty PermutationAlgebra");
+int n=ap[0].size();
+resize(n,n);
+clear();
+for(int i=0; i<na; ++i) axpy(ap[i].weight,ap[i].perm,direction);
+}
+
+
 
 
 //apply permutations
diff --git a/mat.h b/mat.h
index 91d4bfb..f7c86ec 100644
--- a/mat.h
+++ b/mat.h
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ namespace LA {
 
 //forward declaration
 template<typename T> class NRPerm;
+template<typename T, typename R> class WeightPermutation;
+template<typename T, typename R> class PermutationAlgebra;
 template<typename T> class CyclePerm;
 template<typename T> class NRMat_from1;
 
@@ -136,6 +138,8 @@ public:
 	void scale_col(const int i, const T f); //in place
 	void axpy(const T alpha, const NRPerm<int> &p, const bool direction);
 	explicit NRMat(const NRPerm<int> &p, const bool direction, const bool parity=false); //permutation matrix
+	explicit NRMat(const WeightPermutation<int,T> &p, const bool direction); 
+	explicit NRMat(const PermutationAlgebra<int,T> &p, const bool direction); 
 
 
 	/***************************************************************************//**
@@ -1556,6 +1560,17 @@ NRMat<typename LA_traits<T>::normtype>  NRMat<T>::abs() const {
 }
 
 
+//convert whole matrix between types
+template <typename T, typename S>
+void NRMat_convert(NRMat<T> &a, const NRMat<S> &b)
+{
+a.resize(b.nrows(),b.ncols());
+for(int i=0; i<b.nrows(); ++i)
+	for(int j=0; j<b.ncols(); ++j)
+		a(i,j) = (T) b(i,j);
+}
+
+
 
 
 
diff --git a/smat.h b/smat.h
index d3f4c27..355d55a 100644
--- a/smat.h
+++ b/smat.h
@@ -1223,6 +1223,16 @@ std::istream& operator>>(std::istream  &s, NRSMat<T> &x) {
 #endif
 }
 
+//convert whole matrix between types
+template <typename T, typename S>
+void NRSMat_convert(NRSMat<T> &a, const NRSMat<S> &b)
+{
+a.resize(b.nrows(),b.ncols());
+for(int i=0; i<b.nrows(); ++i)
+        for(int j=0; j<=i; ++j)
+                a(i,j) = (T) b(i,j);
+}
+
 
 /***************************************************************************//**
  * generate operators relating NRSMat<T> objects and scalars
diff --git a/vec.h b/vec.h
index 74fd24b..bb2443c 100644
--- a/vec.h
+++ b/vec.h
@@ -2039,6 +2039,15 @@ for(int next=0; next<newsize; ++next)
 x.resize(newsize2,true);
 }
 
+//convert whole vector between types
+template <typename T, typename S>
+void NRVec_convert(NRVec<T> &a, const NRVec<S> &b)
+{
+a.resize(b.size());
+for(int i=0; i<b.size(); ++i)
+                a[i] = (T) b[i];
+}
+
 
 
 }//namespace