diff --git a/gtsam.h b/gtsam.h
index 540b4246c..8358a8e86 100644
--- a/gtsam.h
+++ b/gtsam.h
@@ -818,6 +818,7 @@ virtual class BayesTree {
     void deleteCachedShortcuts();
     void insert(const CLIQUE* subtree);
     size_t numCachedSeparatorMarginals() const;
+    CLIQUE* clique(size_t j) const;
 };
 
 template<CONDITIONAL>
@@ -1143,6 +1144,7 @@ virtual class GaussianBayesTree : gtsam::GaussianBayesTreeBase {
 gtsam::VectorValues optimize(const gtsam::GaussianBayesTree& bayesTree);
 gtsam::VectorValues optimizeGradientSearch(const gtsam::GaussianBayesTree& bayesTree);
 gtsam::VectorValues gradient(const gtsam::GaussianBayesTree& bayesTree, const gtsam::VectorValues& x0);
+gtsam::VectorValues* allocateVectorValues(const gtsam::GaussianBayesTree& bt);
 
 virtual class GaussianFactor {
   void print(string s) const;
diff --git a/gtsam/inference/BayesTree.h b/gtsam/inference/BayesTree.h
index 8e09da31d..acf821bb7 100644
--- a/gtsam/inference/BayesTree.h
+++ b/gtsam/inference/BayesTree.h
@@ -174,7 +174,12 @@ namespace gtsam {
     const sharedClique& root() const { return root_;  }
 
     /** find the clique that contains the variable with Index j */
-    sharedClique operator[](Index j) const {
+    inline sharedClique operator[](Index j) const {
+      return nodes_.at(j);
+    }
+
+    /** alternate syntax for matlab: find the clique that contains the variable with Index j */
+    inline sharedClique clique(Index j) const {
       return nodes_.at(j);
     }