new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/liboctave/oct-norm.h
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+/*
+
+Copyright (C) 2008 VZLU Prague, a.s.
+
+This file is part of Octave.
+
+Octave 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 3 of the License, or (at your
+option) any later version.
+
+Octave 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 Octave; see the file COPYING.  If not, see
+<http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+*/
+
+// author: Jaroslav Hajek <highegg@gmail.com>
+
+#if !defined (octave_xnorm_h)
+#define octave_xnorm_h 1
+
+#include "oct-cmplx.h"
+
+#define DECLARE_XNORM_FUNCS(PREFIX, RTYPE) \
+  class PREFIX##Matrix; \
+  class PREFIX##ColumnVector; \
+  class PREFIX##RowVector; \
+  \
+  extern RTYPE xnorm (const PREFIX##ColumnVector&, RTYPE p = 2); \
+  extern RTYPE xnorm (const PREFIX##RowVector&, RTYPE p = 2); \
+  extern RTYPE xnorm (const PREFIX##Matrix&, RTYPE p = 2); \
+  extern RTYPE xfrobnorm (const PREFIX##Matrix&); 
+
+DECLARE_XNORM_FUNCS(, double)
+DECLARE_XNORM_FUNCS(Complex, double)
+DECLARE_XNORM_FUNCS(Float, float)
+DECLARE_XNORM_FUNCS(FloatComplex, float)
+
+DECLARE_XNORM_FUNCS(Sparse, double)
+DECLARE_XNORM_FUNCS(SparseComplex, double)
+
+#define DECLARE_COLROW_NORM_FUNCS(PREFIX, RPREFIX, RTYPE) \
+  extern RPREFIX##RowVector xcolnorms (const PREFIX##Matrix&, RTYPE p = 2); \
+  extern RPREFIX##ColumnVector xrownorms (const PREFIX##Matrix&, RTYPE p = 2); \
+
+DECLARE_COLROW_NORM_FUNCS(, , double)
+DECLARE_COLROW_NORM_FUNCS(Complex, , double)
+DECLARE_COLROW_NORM_FUNCS(Float, Float, float)
+DECLARE_COLROW_NORM_FUNCS(FloatComplex, Float, float)
+
+DECLARE_COLROW_NORM_FUNCS(Sparse, , double)
+DECLARE_COLROW_NORM_FUNCS(SparseComplex, , double)
+
+#endif