function y=le(a,b);
%le operator, overloaded for flexible dimensions in gauss
[ra,ca]=size(a);
[rb,cb]=size(b);
if (ra==rb & ca==cb) | (ra==1 & ca==1) | (rb==1 & cb==1);
   y=builtin('le',a,b);
elseif (ra==rb & ca==1 & cb>1);
   y=zeros(rb,cb);
   for i=1:1:cb;
       y(:,i)=builtin('le',a,b(:,i));
   end;
elseif (ra==rb & ca>1 & cb==1);
   y=zeros(rb,ca);
   for i=1:1:ca;
       y(:,i)=builtin('le',a(:,i),b);
   end;
elseif (ca==cb & ra==1 & rb>1);
   y=zeros(rb,cb);
   for i=1:1:rb;
       y(i,:)=builtin('le',a,b(i,:));
   end;
elseif (ca==cb & ra>1 & rb==1);
   y=zeros(ra,ca);
   for i=1:1:ra;
       y(i,:)=builtin('le',a(i,:),b);
   end;
elseif (ca==1 & cb>1 & ra>1 & rb==1); % a col. vector, b is a row vector
   y=zeros(ra,cb);
   for i=1:1:ra;
       y(i,:)=builtin('le',a(i,1),b);
   end;
elseif (cb==1 & ca>1 & rb>1 & ra==1); % b col vector ,a is a row vector
   y=zeros(rb,ca);
   for i=1:1:rb;
       y(i,:)=builtin('le',b(i,1),a);
   end;
else;
  disp('le.m: matrices are not conformable');
  disp(size(a));
  disp(size(b));
end;