diff --git a/gtsam/base/concepts.h b/gtsam/base/concepts.h
index 4fe3f519b..52e8a4d01 100644
--- a/gtsam/base/concepts.h
+++ b/gtsam/base/concepts.h
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@
 #include <boost/static_assert.hpp>
 #include <boost/type_traits/is_base_of.hpp>
 
+//FIXME temporary until all conflicts with namespace traits resolved
+#define traits traits_foo
+
 namespace gtsam {
 
 template <typename T> struct traits {};
@@ -35,7 +38,9 @@ struct vector_space_tag: public lie_group_tag {};
 struct multiplicative_group_tag {};
 struct additive_group_tag {};
 
-template<typename Transformation>
+// a fictitious example
+class Transformation;
+template<>
 struct traits<Transformation> {
 
   // Typedefs required by all manifold types.
@@ -113,8 +118,8 @@ struct traits<Transformation> {
 template<typename T>
 BOOST_CONCEPT_REQUIRES(((Testable<traits<T> >)),(bool)) //
 check_manifold_invariants(const T& a, const T& b, double tol=1e-9) {
-  traits<T>::TangentVector v0 = traits<T>::Local(a,a);
-  traits<T>::TangentVector v = traits<T>::Local(a,b);
+  typename traits<T>::TangentVector v0 = traits<T>::Local(a,a);
+  typename traits<T>::TangentVector v = traits<T>::Local(a,b);
   T c = traits<T>::Retract(a,v);
   return v0.norm() < tol && traits<T>::Equals(b,c,tol);
 }
@@ -174,7 +179,6 @@ class IsGroup {
 public:
   typedef typename traits<G>::structure_category structure_category_tag;
   typedef typename traits<G>::group_flavor flavor_tag;
-  static const size_t dim = traits<G>::dimension;
   //typedef typename traits<G>::identity::value_type identity_value_type;
 
   BOOST_CONCEPT_USAGE(IsGroup) {
@@ -216,7 +220,7 @@ check_group_invariants(const G& a, const G& b, double tol = 1e-9) {
 
 
 #define GTSAM_ADDITIVE_GROUP(GROUP) \
-    typedef additive_gropu_tag group_flavor; \
+    typedef additive_group_tag group_flavor; \
     static GROUP Compose(const GROUP &g, const GROUP & h) { return g + h;} \
     static GROUP Between(const GROUP &g, const GROUP & h) { return h - g;} \
     static GROUP Inverse(const GROUP &g) { return -g;}
@@ -259,7 +263,7 @@ public:
 private:
   LG g, h;
   TangentVector v;
-  OptionalJacobian Hg, Hh;
+  ChartJacobian Hg, Hh;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/gtsam/geometry/Cyclic.h b/gtsam/geometry/Cyclic.h
index f10a7fdb0..3e9ab0ec7 100644
--- a/gtsam/geometry/Cyclic.h
+++ b/gtsam/geometry/Cyclic.h
@@ -64,16 +64,14 @@ public:
 
 #define CYCLIC_TEMPLATE size_t N
 #define CYCLIC_TYPE Cyclic<N>
-GTSAM_GROUP_IDENTITY(CYCLIC_TEMPLATE, CYCLIC_TYPE)
-GTSAM_ADDITIVE_GROUP(CYCLIC_TEMPLATE, CYCLIC_TYPE)
 
-/// Define cyclic group to be a model of the Group concept
-namespace traits {
-template<size_t N>
-struct structure_category<Cyclic<N> > {
-  typedef group_tag type;
+/// Define cyclic group traits to be a model of the Group concept
+template <CYCLIC_TEMPLATE>
+struct traits<CYCLIC_TYPE > {
+  typedef group_tag structure_category;
+  GTSAM_ADDITIVE_GROUP(CYCLIC_TYPE);
+  static const CYCLIC_TYPE identity = CYCLIC_TYPE::Identity();
 };
-}
 
 } // \namespace gtsam
 
diff --git a/gtsam/geometry/Quaternion.h b/gtsam/geometry/Quaternion.h
index b043600b6..b9bfeee47 100644
--- a/gtsam/geometry/Quaternion.h
+++ b/gtsam/geometry/Quaternion.h
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 
 #include <gtsam/base/concepts.h>
 #include <gtsam/base/Matrix.h>
-#include <Geometry/Quaternion.h>
 
 #define QUATERNION_TEMPLATE typename _Scalar, int _Options
 #define QUATERNION_TYPE Eigen::Quaternion<_Scalar,_Options>
@@ -37,7 +36,7 @@ struct traits<QUATERNION_TYPE> {
   typedef Eigen::Matrix<_Scalar, 3, 1, _Options, 3, 1> TangentVector;
   typedef OptionalJacobian<3, 3> ChartJacobian;
 
-  static Q Compose(const Q &g, const Q & h, ChartJacobian Hg=NULL, ChartJacobian Hh=NULL) {
+  static Q Compose(const Q &g, const Q & h, ChartJacobian Hg=boost::none, ChartJacobian Hh=boost::none) {
     if (Hg) {
       //TODO : check Jacobian consistent with chart ( h.toRotationMatrix().transpose() ? )
       *Hg = h.toRotationMatrix().transpose();
@@ -48,7 +47,7 @@ struct traits<QUATERNION_TYPE> {
     }
     return g * h;
   }
-  static Q Between(const Q &g, const Q & h, ChartJacobian Hg=NULL, ChartJacobian Hh=NULL) {
+  static Q Between(const Q &g, const Q & h, ChartJacobian Hg=boost::none, ChartJacobian Hh=boost::none) {
     Q d = g.inverse() * h;
     if (Hg) {
         //TODO : check Jacobian consistent with chart
@@ -60,7 +59,7 @@ struct traits<QUATERNION_TYPE> {
       }
       return d;
   }
-  static Q Inverse(const Q &g, ChartJacobian H=NULL) {
+  static Q Inverse(const Q &g, ChartJacobian H=boost::none) {
       if (H) {
         //TODO : check Jacobian consistent with chart
         *H = -g.toRotationMatrix();
@@ -70,7 +69,7 @@ struct traits<QUATERNION_TYPE> {
 
   /// Exponential map, simply be converting omega to axis/angle representation
   // TODO: implement Jacobian
-  static Q Expmap(const Eigen::Ref<const TangentVector >& omega, ChartJacobian H=NULL) {
+  static Q Expmap(const Eigen::Ref<const TangentVector >& omega, ChartJacobian H=boost::none) {
     if (omega.isZero())
       return Q::Identity();
     else {
@@ -81,7 +80,7 @@ struct traits<QUATERNION_TYPE> {
 
   /// We use our own Logmap, as there is a slight bug in Eigen
   // TODO: implement Jacobian
-  static TangentVector Logmap(const Q& q, ChartJacobian H=NULL) {
+  static TangentVector Logmap(const Q& q, ChartJacobian H=boost::none) {
     using std::acos;
     using std::sqrt;
     static const double twoPi = 2.0 * M_PI,
@@ -109,7 +108,7 @@ struct traits<QUATERNION_TYPE> {
     }
   }
 
-  static TangentVector Local(const Q& origin, const Q& other, ChartJacobian Horigin=NULL, ChartJacobian Hother=NULL) {
+  static TangentVector Local(const Q& origin, const Q& other, ChartJacobian Horigin=boost::none, ChartJacobian Hother=boost::none) {
     return Logmap(Between(origin,other,Horigin,Hother));
     // TODO: incorporate Jacobian of Logmap
   }