diff --git a/cachematrix.R b/cachematrix.R
index a50be65aa44..a55dd5f9003 100644
--- a/cachematrix.R
+++ b/cachematrix.R
@@ -1,15 +1,41 @@
-## Put comments here that give an overall description of what your
-## functions do
+## The two functions coded below allow a matrix object and its inverse to be 
+## cached.
 
-## Write a short comment describing this function
+## The makeCacheMatrix function takes a given matrix and enables it to
+## cache its own inverse.
 
 makeCacheMatrix <- function(x = matrix()) {
+  m <- NULL                      # creates an empty variable "m" that acts as a cache  
+  set <- function(y) {           # set() allows the user to assign x to a new matrix object, y
+    x <<- y                      # content of y is assigned to x     
+    m <<- NULL                   # stores matrix object into the cache
+  }
+  get <- function() x                           # returns the content of the matrix, x
+  setinverse <- function(solve) m <<- solve     # calculates the inverted matrix and stores it in "m"
+  getinverse <- function() m                    # identifies the content of the inverted matrix supplied by "m"
+  list(set = set, get = get,                    # wraps up all 4 functions into a list that is
+       setinverse = setinverse,                 # passed through when makeCacheMatrix is called
+       getinverse = getinverse)
 
 }
 
-
-## Write a short comment describing this function
+##  The cacheSolve function computes the inverse of the matrix object returned by 
+##  makeCacheMatrix above. If the inverse is already calculated and stored in
+##  the cache "m", then cacheSolve retrieves the inverse from the cache. If the
+##  inverse is not found, then cacheSolve calculates the inverse and stores the 
+##  result into the cache.
 
 cacheSolve <- function(x, ...) {
-        ## Return a matrix that is the inverse of 'x'
+  m <- x$getinverse()               # searches for x's inverted matrix computation in the cache
+  if(!is.null(m)) {                 # if x's inverse is found in the cache
+    message("getting cached data")
+    return(m)                       # the cache for x is returned                     
+  }                                 # if x is not found in the cache
+  data <- x$get()                   # the inverse of x is computed on the fly 
+  m <- solve(data, ...)             
+  x$setinverse(m)                   # the result is stored back in the cache
+  m                                 # returns the matrix inversion result
+
 }
+
+