diff --git a/src/matrix/auto.clj b/src/matrix/auto.clj
index 6f63917..a9e1782 100644
--- a/src/matrix/auto.clj
+++ b/src/matrix/auto.clj
@@ -26,3 +26,8 @@
 ;; (defn apply-operations-with-steps
 ;;   "Takes a matrix and a list of operations and returns a seq of matrices"
 ;;   )
+
+;; (defn gaussian-top-op
+;;   [m]
+;;   "Takes a matrix and returns the op required to gaussian-eliminate the top"
+;;   {:n})
diff --git a/src/matrix/base.clj b/src/matrix/base.clj
index 412a2fc..9997056 100644
--- a/src/matrix/base.clj
+++ b/src/matrix/base.clj
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-(ns matrix.base)
+(ns matrix.base
+  (:require [matrix.spec :as opspec]))
 
 (defn to-vec
   [v]
@@ -66,3 +67,25 @@
 (def matrix-height
   "Get the height of a matrix"
   count)
+
+(defn apply-row-op
+  "Apply a spec-compliant row-op to a matrix, curriable"
+  ([op]
+   (fn [m]
+     (apply-row-op op m)))
+  ([op m]
+   (if-let [[type inner] (opspec/conform op)]
+     (case type
+       :swap (swap-rows
+              m
+              (:swap inner)
+              (:with inner))
+       :add  (add-rows-with-mul
+              m
+              (:times   inner)
+              (:add-row inner)
+              (:to      inner))
+       :mul  (mul-row
+              m
+              (:by      inner)
+              (:mul-row inner))))))
diff --git a/src/matrix/render.clj b/src/matrix/render.clj
index 06ae39f..348d854 100644
--- a/src/matrix/render.clj
+++ b/src/matrix/render.clj
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
 
 (ns matrix.render
   (:require [clojure.string :as str])
-  (:require [matrix.base :refer :all]))
+  (:require [matrix.base :refer :all])
+  (:require [matrix.spec :refer :all]))
 
 (def default-render-options
   {:bar? false
@@ -152,26 +153,27 @@
   (str/join (map shrink-digit (str n))))
 
 (defn pretty-swap [op]
-  (str "R" (shrink-number (:a op))
+  (str "R" (shrink-number (:swap op))
        " ↔ "
-       "R" (shrink-number (:b op))))
+       "R" (shrink-number (:with op))))
 
 (defn pretty-mul [op]
-  (str (:n op) "R" (shrink-number (:row op))))
+  (str (:by op) "R" (shrink-number (:mul-row op))))
 
 (defn pretty-add [op]
-  (let [n (if (= 1 (:n op))
+  (let [n (if (= 1 (:times op))
             ""
-            (str (:n op)))]
+            (str (:times op)))]
     (str n
-         "R" (shrink-number (:from op))
+         "R" (shrink-number (:add-row op))
          " + "
          "R" (shrink-number (:to op)))))
 
 (defn pretty-row-op
   "Returns a pretty string of a row operation"
   [op]
-  (cond
-    (:swap op) (pretty-swap op)
-    (:mul  op) (pretty-mul  op)
-    (:add  op) (pretty-add  op)))
+  (if-let [[op-type inner] (conform op)]
+    (case op-type
+      :swap (pretty-swap inner)
+      :mul  (pretty-mul  inner)
+      :add  (pretty-add  inner))))
diff --git a/src/matrix/spec.clj b/src/matrix/spec.clj
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b50bedc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/matrix/spec.clj
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+(ns matrix.spec
+  (:require [clojure.spec.alpha :as spec]))
+
+;; (spec/def ::n    number?)
+;; (spec/def ::a    number?)
+;; (spec/def ::b    number?)
+;; (spec/def ::row  number?)
+;; (spec/def ::from number?)
+;; (spec/def ::to   number?)
+
+(spec/def ::swap
+  (spec/map-of #{:swap :with} number?))
+
+(spec/def ::add
+  (spec/map-of #{:add-row :times :to} number?))
+
+(spec/def ::mul
+  (spec/map-of #{:mul-row :by} number?))
+
+(spec/def ::row-op
+  (spec/or :swap ::swap
+           :add  ::add
+           :mul  ::mul))
+
+;; (def bla (spec/conform ::row-op {:mul-by 1 :row 2}))
+(defn conform
+  [op]
+  (let [conformed (spec/conform ::row-op op)]
+    (if (spec/invalid? conformed)
+      nil
+      conformed)))
+
+(defn explain
+  [op]
+  (spec/explain ::row-op op))
diff --git a/test/matrix/core_test.clj b/test/matrix/core_test.clj
index d337a25..bab7d97 100644
--- a/test/matrix/core_test.clj
+++ b/test/matrix/core_test.clj
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
   (:require [clojure.test :refer :all]
             [matrix.base :refer :all]))
 
+; TODO: more tests
+
 (deftest test-mul-row
   (testing "Multiplying by one remains the same"
     (let [mat (id-matrix 10)]