diff --git a/gtsam/base/VerticalBlockMatrix.h b/gtsam/base/VerticalBlockMatrix.h
index 62e5377b2..f26f44d91 100644
--- a/gtsam/base/VerticalBlockMatrix.h
+++ b/gtsam/base/VerticalBlockMatrix.h
@@ -26,18 +26,22 @@ namespace gtsam {
 class SymmetricBlockMatrix;
 
 /**
- * This class stores a dense matrix and allows it to be accessed as a collection of vertical
- * blocks. The dimensions of the blocks are provided when constructing this class.
+ * This class stores a dense matrix and allows it to be accessed as a collection
+ * of vertical blocks.
  *
- * This class also has three parameters that can be changed after construction that change the
- * apparent view of the matrix without any reallocation or data copying.  firstBlock() determines
- * the block that has index 0 for all operations (except for re-setting firstBlock()).  rowStart()
- * determines the apparent first row of the matrix for all operations (except for setting
- * rowStart() and rowEnd()).  rowEnd() determines the apparent exclusive (one-past-the-last) last
- * row for all operations.  To include all rows, rowEnd() should be set to the number of rows in
- * the matrix (i.e. one after the last true row index).
+ * The dimensions of the blocks are provided when constructing this class.
  *
- * @addtogroup base */
+ * This class also has three parameters that can be changed after construction
+ * that change the apparent view of the matrix without any reallocation or data
+ * copying. firstBlock() determines the block that has index 0 for all operations
+ * (except for re-setting firstBlock()).  rowStart() determines the apparent
+ * first row of the matrix for all operations (except for setting rowStart() and
+ * rowEnd()).  rowEnd() determines the apparent exclusive (one-past-the-last)
+ * last row for all operations.  To include all rows, rowEnd() should be set to
+ * the number of rows in the matrix (i.e. one after the last true row index).
+ *
+ * @addtogroup base
+ */
 class GTSAM_EXPORT VerticalBlockMatrix {
 public:
   typedef VerticalBlockMatrix This;
@@ -46,11 +50,13 @@ public:
 
 protected:
   Matrix matrix_; ///< The full matrix
-  FastVector<DenseIndex> variableColOffsets_; ///< the starting columns of each block (0-based)
 
-  DenseIndex rowStart_; ///< Changes apparent matrix view, see main class comment.
-  DenseIndex rowEnd_; ///< Changes apparent matrix view, see main class comment.
-  DenseIndex blockStart_; ///< Changes apparent matrix view, see main class comment.
+  /// the starting columns of each block (0-based)
+  FastVector<DenseIndex> variableColOffsets_;
+
+  DenseIndex rowStart_; ///< Changes apparent matrix view, see class comments.
+  DenseIndex rowEnd_; ///< Changes apparent matrix view, see class comments.
+  DenseIndex blockStart_; ///< Changes apparent matrix view, see class comments.
 
 public:
 
@@ -70,7 +76,10 @@ public:
     assertInvariants();
   }
 
-  /** Construct from a container of the sizes of each vertical block and a pre-prepared matrix. */
+  /**
+   * Construct from a container of the sizes of each vertical block and a
+   * pre-prepared matrix.
+   */
   template<typename CONTAINER>
   VerticalBlockMatrix(const CONTAINER& dimensions, const Matrix& matrix) :
       matrix_(matrix), rowStart_(0), rowEnd_(matrix.rows()), blockStart_(0) {
@@ -92,16 +101,19 @@ public:
     assertInvariants();
   }
 
-  /** Copy the block structure and resize the underlying matrix, but do not copy the matrix data.
-   *  If blockStart(), rowStart(), and/or rowEnd() have been modified, this copies the structure of
-   *  the corresponding matrix view. In the destination VerticalBlockView, blockStart() and
-   *  rowStart() will thus be 0, rowEnd() will be cols() of the source VerticalBlockView, and the
-   *  underlying matrix will be the size of the view of the source matrix.  */
+  /**
+   * Copy the block structure and resize the underlying matrix, but do not copy
+   * the matrix data. If blockStart(), rowStart(), and/or rowEnd() have been
+   * modified, this copies the structure of the corresponding matrix view. In the
+   * destination VerticalBlockView, blockStart() and rowStart() will thus be 0,
+   * rowEnd() will be cols() of the source VerticalBlockView, and the
+   * underlying matrix will be the size of the view of the source matrix.
+   */
   static VerticalBlockMatrix LikeActiveViewOf(const VerticalBlockMatrix& rhs);
 
-  /** Copy the block structure, but do not copy the matrix data. If blockStart() has been
-   *   modified, this copies the structure of the corresponding matrix view. In the destination
-   *   VerticalBlockMatrix, blockStart() will be 0. */
+  /** Copy the block structure, but do not copy the matrix data. If blockStart()
+   * has been modified, this copies the structure of the corresponding matrix
+   * view. In the destination VerticalBlockMatrix, blockStart() will be 0. */
   static VerticalBlockMatrix LikeActiveViewOf(const SymmetricBlockMatrix& rhs,
       DenseIndex height);
 
@@ -161,12 +173,14 @@ public:
         rangeCols);
   }
 
-  /** Return the full matrix, *not* including any portions excluded by rowStart(), rowEnd(), and firstBlock() */
+  /** Return the full matrix, *not* including any portions excluded by
+   * rowStart(), rowEnd(), and firstBlock() */
   Block full() {
     return range(0, nBlocks());
   }
 
-  /** Return the full matrix, *not* including any portions excluded by rowStart(), rowEnd(), and firstBlock() */
+  /** Return the full matrix, *not* including any portions excluded by
+   * rowStart(), rowEnd(), and firstBlock() */
   const constBlock full() const {
     return range(0, nBlocks());
   }
@@ -178,17 +192,19 @@ public:
     return variableColOffsets_[actualBlock];
   }
 
-  /** Get or set the apparent first row of the underlying matrix for all operations */
+  /// Get/set the apparent first row of the underlying matrix for all operations
   DenseIndex& rowStart() {
     return rowStart_;
   }
 
-  /** Get or set the apparent last row (exclusive, i.e. rows() == rowEnd() - rowStart()) of the underlying matrix for all operations */
+  /** Get/set the apparent last row
+   * (exclusive, i.e. rows() == rowEnd() - rowStart())
+   * of the underlying matrix for all operations */
   DenseIndex& rowEnd() {
     return rowEnd_;
   }
 
-  /** Get or set the apparent first block for all operations */
+  /** Get/set the apparent first block for all operations */
   DenseIndex& firstBlock() {
     return blockStart_;
   }
@@ -198,7 +214,8 @@ public:
     return rowStart_;
   }
 
-  /** Get the apparent last row (exclusive, i.e. rows() == rowEnd() - rowStart()) of the underlying matrix for all operations */
+  /** Get the apparent last row (exclusive, i.e. rows() == rowEnd() - rowStart())
+   *  of the underlying matrix for all operations */
   DenseIndex rowEnd() const {
     return rowEnd_;
   }
@@ -208,12 +225,14 @@ public:
     return blockStart_;
   }
 
-  /** Access to full matrix (*including* any portions excluded by rowStart(), rowEnd(), and firstBlock()) */
+  /** Access to full matrix (*including* any portions excluded by rowStart(),
+   * rowEnd(), and firstBlock()) */
   const Matrix& matrix() const {
     return matrix_;
   }
 
-  /** Non-const access to full matrix (*including* any portions excluded by rowStart(), rowEnd(), and firstBlock()) */
+  /** Non-const access to full matrix (*including* any portions excluded by
+   * rowStart(), rowEnd(), and firstBlock()) */
   Matrix& matrix() {
     return matrix_;
   }