diff --git a/playground/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/indels/StrictlyUpperTriangularMatrix.java b/playground/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/indels/StrictlyUpperTriangularMatrix.java
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..37e346eef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playground/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/indels/StrictlyUpperTriangularMatrix.java
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+package org.broadinstitute.sting.indels;
+
+public class StrictlyUpperTriangularMatrix {
+	private double [] data;
+	private int size;
+	
+	public StrictlyUpperTriangularMatrix(int dimension) {
+		assert dimension >=2 : "Distance matrix can not be smaller than 2x2";
+		if ( dimension % 2 == 0 ) {
+				int k = dimension >> 1; // dimension/2
+				data = new double[k*(dimension-1)];
+		} else {
+				int k = ( dimension -1 ) >> 1; // (dimension -1)/2
+				data = new double[k*dimension];
+		}
+		size = dimension;
+	}
+	
+	public double get(int i, int j) {
+		assert (i < size) && (j<size) : "Out of bound index into distance matrix detected";
+		if ( i >= j ) return 0.0;
+		
+		// we are guaranteed now that i < j; now
+		// translate i,j into the linear offset into our internal data array and return the value:
+		return data[ linearOffset(i,j) ];
+	}
+
+	public void set(int i, int j, double value) {
+		assert (i < size) && (j<size) : "Out of bound index into distance matrix detected";
+		assert  i < j : "Only i < j elements can be set in strictly upper diagonal matrix" ;
+		
+		// we are guaranteed now that i < j; now
+		// translate i,j into the linear offset into our internal data array and set the value
+		data[ linearOffset(i,j) ] = value;
+	}
+	
+	public int size() { return size; }
+	
+	/** Returns ready-to-print string representing the full matrix (don't use for 1000x1000 matrices!!);
+	 *  each element is formatted according to a default format. 
+	 * @return
+	 * @see format(String f)
+	 */
+	public String format() {
+		return format("%6.3f ");
+	}
+	
+	/** Returns ready-to-print string representing the full matrix (don't use for 1000x1000 matrices!!);
+	 *  each element is formatted according to a specified format string (note: format string must include all desired
+	 *  whitespaces before and/or after an element, as this method itself does not add any spaces between the formatted elements). 
+	 * @return
+	 * @see format()
+	 */
+	public String format(String f) {
+		StringBuilder b = new StringBuilder();
+		java.util.Formatter frm = new java.util.Formatter(b);
+		for ( int i = 0 ; i < size ; i++ ) {
+			for ( int j = 0 ; j < size ; j++ ) {
+				if ( i < j ) frm.format(f, get(i,j));
+				else frm.format(f, 0.0);
+			}
+			b.append('\n');
+		}
+		return b.toString();
+	}
+	
+	/** Computes linear offset into the array that keeps actual data given "row" and "column" indices into the matrix
+	 * this class represents; this method is unchecked, but it expects i < j otherwise the result will be incorrect.
+	 * @param i row index
+	 * @param j column index
+	 * @return linear offset into the data[] member of this class
+	 */
+	private int linearOffset(int i, int j) {
+		int k = (( size << 1 ) - i - 1)*i; // [ 2*d - (i+1) ] * i 
+		k >>= 1; // k/=2
+		// now k is the offset of the first stored element in row i
+		return ( k + (j - i - 1));
+	}
+
+	private static void testMe() {
+		StrictlyUpperTriangularMatrix m = new StrictlyUpperTriangularMatrix(3);
+		
+		m.set(0,1,0.54321);
+		m.set(0,2,0.43215);
+		m.set(1,2,0.321);
+
+		System.out.println( m.format());
+	}
+	
+	public static void main(String[] argv) {
+		testMe();
+	}
+}