diff --git a/gtsam/linear/GaussianFactor.h b/gtsam/linear/GaussianFactor.h
index 682b758fd..a94e024f5 100644
--- a/gtsam/linear/GaussianFactor.h
+++ b/gtsam/linear/GaussianFactor.h
@@ -151,10 +151,6 @@ namespace gtsam {
 
     ABlock getA(iterator variable) { return Ab_(variable - keys_.begin()); }
 
-    // direct indexing
-    constABlock getA(size_t idx) const { return Ab_(idx); }
-    ABlock getA(size_t idx) { return Ab_(idx); }
-
     /** Return the dimension of the variable pointed to by the given key iterator
      * todo: Remove this in favor of keeping track of dimensions with variables?
      */
@@ -172,6 +168,13 @@ namespace gtsam {
      */
     static shared_ptr Combine(const FactorGraph<GaussianFactor>& factors, const VariableSlots& variableSlots);
 
+    /**
+     * Combine and eliminate several factors.
+     */
+//    static std::pair<GaussianBayesNet::shared_ptr, shared_ptr> CombineAndEliminate(
+//        const FactorGraph<GaussianFactor>& factors, const VariableSlots& variableSlots,
+//        size_t nrFrontals=1, SolveMethod solveMethod = SOLVE_QR);
+
   protected:
 
     /** Internal debug check to make sure variables are sorted */
diff --git a/gtsam/linear/VectorValues.h b/gtsam/linear/VectorValues.h
index c9c38dae9..3b360bcea 100644
--- a/gtsam/linear/VectorValues.h
+++ b/gtsam/linear/VectorValues.h
@@ -89,7 +89,6 @@ public:
   /* dot product */
   double dot(const VectorValues& V) const { return gtsam::dot(this->values_, V.values_) ; }
 
-
   /** Total dimensions capacity allocated */
   size_t dimCapacity() const { return values_.size(); }
 
@@ -99,26 +98,11 @@ public:
   iterator end() { return _impl_iterator<VectorValues>(*this, varStarts_.size()-1); }
   const_iterator end() const { return _impl_iterator<const VectorValues>(*this, varStarts_.size()-1); }
 
-  double *ptr(Index idx = 0) { return values_.data().begin() + varStarts_[idx] ; }
-  const double *ptr(Index idx = 0) const { return values_.data().begin() + varStarts_[idx] ; }
-  const Vector& values() const { return values_ ; }
-  Vector& values() { return values_ ; }
+  /** Reference the entire solution vector (const version). */
+  const Vector& vector() const { return values_; }
 
-  /* return the dimension spec of this vector, i.e. the dimension of each variable */
-  template <typename T>
-  std::vector<T> getDimSpec() const {
-    const Index n = this->size() ;
-    std::vector<T> spec(n) ;
-    for ( Index i = 0 ; i < n ; ++i ) {
-      spec[i] = varStarts_[i+1] - varStarts_[i] ;
-    }
-    return spec;
-  }
-
-  /* get varStart */
-  std::vector<size_t> getVarStart() const {
-    return varStarts_ ;
-  }
+  /** Reference the entire solution vector. */
+  Vector& vector() { return values_; }
 
   /** Reserve space for a total number of variables and dimensionality */
   void reserve(Index nVars, size_t totalDims) { values_.resize(std::max(totalDims, values_.size())); varStarts_.reserve(nVars+1); }
diff --git a/gtsam/linear/tests/testVectorValues.cpp b/gtsam/linear/tests/testVectorValues.cpp
index cdc74af61..d8df3721b 100644
--- a/gtsam/linear/tests/testVectorValues.cpp
+++ b/gtsam/linear/tests/testVectorValues.cpp
@@ -36,9 +36,9 @@ TEST(VectorValues, constructor) {
 
 	VectorValues actual(dims, v);
 	LONGS_EQUAL(3, actual.size());
-	DOUBLES_EQUAL(1., *actual.ptr(0), 1e-15);
-	DOUBLES_EQUAL(2., *actual.ptr(1), 1e-15);
-	DOUBLES_EQUAL(4., *actual.ptr(2), 1e-15);
+	DOUBLES_EQUAL(1., actual[0][0], 1e-15);
+	DOUBLES_EQUAL(2., actual[1][0], 1e-15);
+	DOUBLES_EQUAL(4., actual[2][0], 1e-15);
 }
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */