diff --git a/src/ODE.jl b/src/ODE.jl
index c2243831f..f71c2021c 100644
--- a/src/ODE.jl
+++ b/src/ODE.jl
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ module ODE
 using Polynomial
 
 ## minimal function export list
-export ode23, ode4, ode45, ode4s, ode4ms
+export ode23, ode4, ode45, ode4s, ode4ms, verlet
 
 ## complete function export list
 #export ode23, ode4,
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ export ode23, ode4, ode45, ode4s, ode4ms
 #    oderosenbrock, ode4s, ode4s_kr, ode4s_s,
 #    ode4ms, ode_ms
 
+include("symplectic.jl")
+
 
 #ODE23  Solve non-stiff differential equations.
 #
diff --git a/src/symplectic.jl b/src/symplectic.jl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4f806966d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/symplectic.jl
@@ -0,0 +1,151 @@
+# symplectic integration methods
+
+## velocity verlet with fixed step-size
+## integrates the system
+##     dx/dt = v(t)
+##     dv/dt = a(t, x) = F(t, x)/m
+## with initial conditions x_0 and v_0 using the velocity-verlet method.
+##
+## The function takes as a first argument a function, a(t,x),
+## of time and position (the acceleration). The second argument
+## specifies a list of times for which a solution is requested. The last
+## two arguments are the initial conditions x_0 and v_0.
+##
+## The output, (t,x,v), consists of the solutions x(t), v(t) at times t=tspan.
+##
+function verlet_fixed(a, tspan, x_0, v_0)
+    
+    if length(x_0) != length(v_0)
+        error("Initial data x_0 and v_0 must have equal length.")
+    end
+    
+    x = Array(eltype(x_0), length(tspan), length(x_0))
+    v = Array(eltype(v_0), length(tspan), length(v_0))
+    
+    x[1,:] = x_0'
+    v[1,:] = v_0'
+    
+    atmp = a(tspan[1], x_0).'
+    
+    for i = 1:(length(tspan)-1)
+        h = tspan[i+1] - tspan[i]
+                
+        v[i+1,:] = v[i,:] + atmp*h/2
+        x[i+1,:] = x[i,:] + v[i+1,:]*h
+        atmp = a(tspan[i]+h, x[i+1,:].').'
+        v[i+1,:] = v[i+1,:] + atmp*h/2
+    end
+    
+    return tspan, x, v
+end 
+
+## velocity verlet with adaptive step-size
+## integrates the system
+##     dx/dt = v(t)
+##     dv/dt = a(t, x) = F(t, x)/m
+## with initial conditions x_0 and v_0 using the velocity-verlet method.
+## The step-size is adapted accoording to an error estimate based on
+## comparing the results of two half steps and one full step.
+## (for some background see: http://www.theorphys.science.ru.nl/people/fasolino/sub_java/pendula/computational-en.shtml)
+##
+## The function takes as a first argument a function, a(t,x),
+## of time and position (the acceleration). The second argument
+## specifies an intial time t_0 and a final time tf for which a solution is requested. The last
+## two arguments are the initial conditions x_0 and v_0.
+##
+## Optional keywords are atol (error tolerance), norm (function to calculate the error)
+## and points=:all|:specified (flag to indicate type of output).
+##
+## The output, (t,x,v), consists of the solutions x(t), v(t) at the 
+## intermediate integration times t including ti and tf for points==:all
+## or at ti and tf only for points==:specified
+##
+function verlet_hh2(a, t_0, tf, x_0, v_0; atol = 1e-5, norm=Base.norm, points::Symbol=:all)
+    if length(x_0) != length(v_0)
+        error("Initial data x_0 and v_0 must have equal length.")
+    end
+
+    tc = t_0
+    h = tf - tc
+    v = v_0
+    x = x_0
+    
+    tout = tc
+    xout = x_0.'
+    vout = v_0.'
+
+    while tc < tf
+        vo = v
+        xo = x
+        a_tmp = a(tc, xo)
+        
+        # try a full step
+        v = vo + a_tmp*h/2
+        x1 = xo + v*h
+        v1 = v + a(tc+h, x)*h/2
+        
+        # try two half steps
+        h = h/2
+        
+        v = vo + a_tmp*h/2
+        x = xo + v*h
+        a_tmp = a(tc+h, x)
+        v =  v + a_tmp*h/2
+
+        v =  v + a_tmp*h/2
+        x =  x + v*h
+        v =  v + a(tc+2*h, x)*h/2
+        
+        # error estimate
+        err = (8/7)*norm(x1 - x)
+        hmax = 2*h*abs(atol/err)^(1/4)
+        
+        if hmax < h
+            # repeat step with smaller step size
+            h = 0.9*2*hmax
+            v = vo
+            x = xo
+        else
+            # accept last step
+            tc = tc + 2*h
+            h = 2*h
+            
+            if points == :all
+                tout = [tout; tc]
+                xout = [xout; x.']
+                vout = [vout; v.']
+            end
+        end     
+    end
+
+    if points == :specified
+        tout = [tout; tc]
+        xout = [xout; x.']
+        vout = [vout; v.']
+    end
+    return tout, xout, vout
+end
+
+# use adaptive method by default
+function verlet(a, tspan, x_0, v_0; atol = 1e-5, norm=Base.norm, points::Symbol=:all)
+    if length(tspan) < 2
+        error("Argument tspan must have at least two elements.")
+    end
+    
+    tout, xout, vout = verlet_hh2(a, tspan[1], tspan[2], x_0, v_0, atol=atol, norm=norm, points=points)
+    for i = 2:(length(tspan)-1)
+        t, x, v = verlet_hh2(a, tout[end], tspan[i+1], xout[end,:].', vout[end,:].', atol=atol, norm=norm, points=points)
+        
+        if points == :all
+            tout = [tout; t[2:end]]
+            xout = [xout; x[2:end,:]]
+            vout = [vout; v[2:end,:]]
+        elseif points == :specified
+            tout = [tout; t[end]]
+            xout = [xout; x[end,:]]
+            vout = [vout; v[end,:]]            
+        end
+    end
+    
+    return tout, xout, vout
+end
diff --git a/test/tests.jl b/test/tests.jl
index 87df8384e..7f730e2ef 100644
--- a/test/tests.jl
+++ b/test/tests.jl
@@ -43,4 +43,9 @@ for solver in solvers
     @test maximum(abs(y-[cos(t)-2*sin(t) 2*cos(t)+sin(t)])) < tol
 end
 
+println("using ODE.verlet")
+t,x,v=ODE.verlet((t,x)-> -x, [0,2pi], 2., 1.)
+@test maximum(abs([v - cos(t)+2*sin(t), x - 2*cos(t)-sin(t)])) < tol
+
+
 println("All looks OK")