# This file implements two functions: makeCacheMatrix and cacheSolve.

# Together they provide a way to construct a matrix object that caches

# its inverse computation, provinding faster access to it.

# makeCacheMatrix creates an object that represents a matrix that the

# inverse operation is cached for faster computations.

makeCacheMatrix <- function(x = matrix()) {

x_inv <- NULL

set <- function(x_new) {

x <<- x_new

x_inv <<- NULL

}

get <- function() {

x

}

set_inverse <- function(x_inv_new) {

x_inv <<- x_inv_new

}

get_inverse <- function() {

x_inv

}

list(set = set, get = get, set_inverse = set_inverse, get_inverse = get_inverse)

}

# cacheSolve solves the inverse of the matrix x and caches its results

# so that later requests are not calculated again

cacheSolve <- function(x, ...) {

xi <- x$get_inverse()

if(!is.null(xi)) {

message("getting cached inverse matrix")

return(xi)

}

x_data <- x$get()

xi <- solve(x_data)

x$set_inverse(xi)

xi

}