diff --git a/src/include/conversions.h b/src/include/conversions.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..87d1a1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/include/conversions.h
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+
+#ifndef __ma_conversions_h__
+#define __ma_conversions_h__
+
+#include "multi_array.h"
+#include "slice.h"
+
+namespace MultiArrayTools
+{
+
+    namespace ConversionSizes
+    {
+	template <size_t N>
+	struct OrigSize
+	{
+	    template <typename C, typename T>
+	    struct FromTo
+	    {
+		static void check() { static_assert( not N % (sizeof(T) / sizeof(C)), "conversion does not fit" ); }
+		static constexpr size_t SIZE = N * sizeof(T) / sizeof(C);
+	    };
+	};
+
+	template <>
+	struct OrigSize<-1>
+	{
+	    template <typename C, typename T>
+	    struct FromTo
+	    {
+		static void check() {}
+		static constexpr size_t SIZE = -1;
+	    };
+	};
+    }
+
+    namespace
+    {
+	template <typename C, typename T, size_t N>
+	using SC = ConversionSizes::OrigSize<N>::template FromTo<C,T>;
+
+	template <typename C, typename T, class Range>
+	using SCR = SC<C,T,typename Range::SIZE>;
+
+	template <typename C, typename T, class Range>
+	using SCRR = GenSingleRange<typename Range::value_type,SpaceType::NONE,SCR<C,T,typename Range::SIZE>;
+    }
+    
+    template <typename C, typename T, class Range, class... Ranges>
+    Slice<C,Ranges...,SCRR<C,T,Range>> tcast(MultiArray<T,Ranges...,Range>& ma)
+    {
+	return Slice<C,Ranges...,SCRR<C,T,Range>>
+	    ( ma.range()->space(), reinterpret_cast<C*>( ma.data() ) );
+    }
+    
+    template <typename C, typename T, class Range, class... Ranges>
+    ConstSlice<C,Ranges...,SCRR<C,T,Range>> tcast(const MultiArray<T,Ranges...,Range>& ma)
+    {
+	return ConstSlice<C,Ranges...,SCRR<C,T,Range>>
+	    ( ma.range()->space(), reinterpret_cast<const C*>( ma.data() ) );
+    }
+
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/include/type_operations.h b/src/include/type_operations.h
index 6870dac..efa35c6 100644
--- a/src/include/type_operations.h
+++ b/src/include/type_operations.h
@@ -82,7 +82,60 @@ namespace MultiArrayTools
 	std::transform(a.begin(), a.end(), b.begin(), a.begin(), std::plus<T>());
 	return a;
     }
-    
+
+    template <typename T>
+    std::vector<T>& operator-=(std::vector<T>& a, const std::vector<T>& b)
+    {
+	std::transform(a.begin(), a.end(), b.begin(), a.begin(), std::minus<T>());
+	return a;
+    }
+
+    template <typename T>
+    std::vector<T>& operator*=(std::vector<T>& a, const std::vector<T>& b)
+    {
+	std::transform(a.begin(), a.end(), b.begin(), a.begin(), std::multiplies<T>());
+	return a;
+    }
+
+    template <typename T>
+    std::vector<T>& operator/=(std::vector<T>& a, const std::vector<T>& b)
+    {
+	std::transform(a.begin(), a.end(), b.begin(), a.begin(), std::divides<T>());
+	return a;
+    }
+
+    template <typename T>
+    std::vector<T> operator+(std::vector<T>& a, const std::vector<T>& b)
+    {
+	std::vector<T> out(a.size());
+	std::transform(a.begin(), a.end(), b.begin(), out.begin(), std::plus<T>());
+	return out;
+    }
+
+    template <typename T>
+    std::vector<T> operator-(std::vector<T>& a, const std::vector<T>& b)
+    {
+	std::vector<T> out(a.size());
+	std::transform(a.begin(), a.end(), b.begin(), out.begin(), std::minus<T>());
+	return out;
+    }
+
+    template <typename T>
+    std::vector<T> operator*(std::vector<T>& a, const std::vector<T>& b)
+    {
+	std::vector<T> out(a.size());
+	std::transform(a.begin(), a.end(), b.begin(), out.begin(), std::multiplies<T>());
+	return out;
+    }
+
+    template <typename T>
+    std::vector<T> operator/(std::vector<T>& a, const std::vector<T>& b)
+    {
+	std::vector<T> out(a.size());
+	std::transform(a.begin(), a.end(), b.begin(), out.begin(), std::divides<T>());
+	return out;
+    }
+
     template <class OperationClass, typename T>
     class OperationTemplate<std::vector<T>,OperationClass> : public OperationBase<std::vector<T>,OperationClass>
     {
@@ -101,28 +154,47 @@ namespace MultiArrayTools
 	friend OperationClass;
     };
 
-    inline std::array<int,2>& operator+=(std::array<int,2>& a, const std::array<int,2>& b)
+    template <typename T, size_t N>
+    inline std::array<T,N> operator+(std::array<T,N>& a, const std::array<T,N>& b)
     {
-	std::get<0>(a) += std::get<0>(b);
-	std::get<1>(a) += std::get<1>(b);
-	return a;
+	std::array<T,N> out;
+	for(size_t i = 0; i != N; ++i){
+	    out[i] = a[i] + b[i];
+	}
+	return out;
     }
+
+    template <typename T, size_t N>
+    inline std::array<T,N> operator-(std::array<T,N>& a, const std::array<T,N>& b)
+    {
+	std::array<T,N> out;
+	for(size_t i = 0; i != N; ++i){
+	    out[i] = a[i] - b[i];
+	}
+	return out;
+    }
+
+    template <typename T, size_t N>
+    inline std::array<T,N> operator*(std::array<T,N>& a, const std::array<T,N>& b)
+    {
+	std::array<T,N> out;
+	for(size_t i = 0; i != N; ++i){
+	    out[i] = a[i] * b[i];
+	}
+	return out;
+    }
+
+    template <typename T, size_t N>
+    inline std::array<T,N> operator/(std::array<T,N>& a, const std::array<T,N>& b)
+    {
+	std::array<T,N> out;
+	for(size_t i = 0; i != N; ++i){
+	    out[i] = a[i] / b[i];
+	}
+	return out;
+    }
+
     
-    inline std::array<int,3>& operator+=(std::array<int,3>& a, const std::array<int,3>& b)
-    {
-	std::get<0>(a) += std::get<0>(b);
-	std::get<1>(a) += std::get<1>(b);
-	std::get<2>(a) += std::get<2>(b);
-	return a;
-    }
-    
-    inline std::tuple<int,int,int>& operator+=(std::tuple<int,int,int>& a, const std::tuple<int,int,int>& b)
-    {
-	std::get<0>(a) += std::get<0>(b);
-	std::get<1>(a) += std::get<1>(b);
-	std::get<2>(a) += std::get<2>(b);
-	return a;
-    }
 
 } // namespace MultiArrayTools