diff --git a/Math/Sym.hs b/Math/Sym.hs
--- a/Math/Sym.hs
+++ b/Math/Sym.hs
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@
 avoids :: Perm a => a -> [StPerm] -> Bool
 w `avoids` ps = all null [ copiesOf p w | p <- ps ]
 
--- | @avoiders ps v@ is the list of permutations of @v@ avoiding the
+-- | @avoiders ps vs@ is the list of permutations in @vs@ avoiding the
 -- patterns @ps@. This is equivalent to the definition
 -- 
 -- > avoiders ps = filter (`avoids` ps)
diff --git a/Math/Sym/Internal.hs b/Math/Sym/Internal.hs
--- a/Math/Sym/Internal.hs
+++ b/Math/Sym/Internal.hs
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@
     , des     -- descents
     , exc     -- excedances
     , fp      -- fixed points
+    , cyc     -- cycles
     , inv     -- inversions
     , maj     -- the major index
     , peak    -- peaks
@@ -320,6 +321,9 @@
 foreign import ccall unsafe "stat.h fp" c_fp
     :: Ptr CLong -> CLong -> CLong
 
+foreign import ccall unsafe "stat.h cyc" c_cyc
+    :: Ptr CLong -> CLong -> CLong
+
 foreign import ccall unsafe "stat.h inv" c_inv
     :: Ptr CLong -> CLong -> CLong
 
@@ -450,6 +454,10 @@
 -- | The number of fixed points.
 fp :: Perm0 -> Int
 fp = stat c_fp
+
+-- | The number of cycles.
+cyc :: Perm0 -> Int
+cyc = stat c_cyc
 
 -- | The number of components.
 comp :: Perm0 -> Int
diff --git a/Math/Sym/Stat.hs b/Math/Sym/Stat.hs
--- a/Math/Sym/Stat.hs
+++ b/Math/Sym/Stat.hs
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
     , des         -- descents
     , exc         -- excedances
     , fp          -- fixed points
+    , cyc         -- cycles
     , inv         -- inversions
     , maj         -- the major index
     , peak        -- peaks
@@ -52,7 +53,7 @@
 import Math.Sym (Perm, toVector, st)
 import Math.Sym.Internal (Perm0)
 import qualified Math.Sym.Internal as I 
-    ( asc, des, exc, fp, inv, maj, peak, vall, dasc, ddes, lmin, lmax, rmin, rmax
+    ( asc, des, exc, fp, cyc, inv, maj, peak, vall, dasc, ddes, lmin, lmax, rmin, rmax
     , head, last, lir, ldr, rir, rdr, comp, ep, dim, asc0, des0
     , lminValues, lminIndices
     )
@@ -71,15 +72,19 @@
 des :: Perm a => a -> Int
 des = generalize I.des
 
--- | The number of /excedances/: positions @i@ such that @w[i] > i@;
+-- | The number of /excedances/: positions @i@ such that @w[i] > i@.
 exc :: Perm a => a -> Int
 exc = generalize I.exc
 
--- | The number of /fixed points/: positions @i@ such that @w[i] == i@;
+-- | The number of /fixed points/: positions @i@ such that @w[i] == i@.
 fp :: Perm a => a -> Int
 fp = generalize I.fp
 
--- | The number of /inversions/: pairs @\(i,j\)@ such that @i \< j@ and @w[i] > w[j]@
+-- | The number of /cycles/: orbits of the permutation when viewed as a function.
+cyc :: Perm a => a -> Int
+cyc = generalize I.cyc
+
+-- | The number of /inversions/: pairs @\(i,j\)@ such that @i \< j@ and @w[i] > w[j]@.
 inv :: Perm a => a -> Int
 inv = generalize I.inv
 
diff --git a/cbits/stat.c b/cbits/stat.c
--- a/cbits/stat.c
+++ b/cbits/stat.c
@@ -56,6 +56,31 @@
 }
 
 
+/* The number of cycles */
+long
+cyc(const long *w, long len)
+{
+	long i = 0;
+	long j = 0;
+	long acc = 0;
+	int *called = malloc(len*sizeof(*called));
+
+	memset(called, 0, len*sizeof(*called));
+
+	while (j < len) {
+		j = w[i];
+		called[i] = 1;
+		if (called[j]) {
+			acc++;
+			while (j < len && called[j])
+				j++;
+		}
+		i = j;
+	}
+	return acc;
+}
+
+
 /* The number of inversions */
 long
 inv(const long *w, long len)
diff --git a/sym.cabal b/sym.cabal
--- a/sym.cabal
+++ b/sym.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Name:                sym
-Version:             0.2.2
+Version:             0.2.3
 Synopsis:            Permutations, patterns, and statistics
 Description:         
   Definitions for permutations with an emphasis on permutation
diff --git a/tests/Properties.hs b/tests/Properties.hs
--- a/tests/Properties.hs
+++ b/tests/Properties.hs
@@ -403,10 +403,20 @@
 excedances  xs = map fst . filter (\(i,a)->i <  fromIntegral a) $ zip [0..] xs
 fixedpoints xs = map fst . filter (\(i,a)->i == fromIntegral a) $ zip [0..] xs
 
+orbit :: Eq a => (a -> a) -> a -> [a]
+orbit f x = y:takeWhile (/=y) ys where (y:ys) = iterate f x
+
+orbits :: Eq a => (a -> a) -> [a] -> [[a]]
+orbits f [] = []
+orbits f (x:xs) = ys:orbits f (xs\\ys) where ys = orbit f x
+
 exc, fp :: [Int] -> Int
 exc = length . excedances . st
 fp  = length . fixedpoints . st
 
+cyc :: [Int] -> Int
+cyc w = let v = st w in length $ orbits (v!!) v
+
 runs :: Ord a => (a -> a -> Bool) -> [a] -> [a] -> [[a]]
 runs _ [] [] = []
 runs _ rs [] = [rs]
@@ -491,6 +501,7 @@
 prop_des  = forAll perm $ \w -> des  w == S.des  w
 prop_exc  = forAll perm $ \w -> exc  w == S.exc  w
 prop_fp   = forAll perm $ \w -> fp   w == S.fp   w
+prop_cyc  = forAll perm $ \w -> cyc  w == S.cyc  w
 prop_inv  = forAll perm $ \w -> inv  w == S.inv  w
 prop_maj  = forAll perm $ \w -> maj  w == S.maj  w
 prop_lmin = forAll perm $ \w -> lmin w == S.lmin w
@@ -503,7 +514,7 @@
 prop_vall = forAll perm $ \w -> vall w == S.vall w
 prop_dasc = forAll perm $ \w -> dasc w == S.dasc w
 prop_ddes = forAll perm $ \w -> ddes w == S.ddes w
-prop_ep   = forAll perm $ \w -> ep   w == S.ep  w
+prop_ep   = forAll perm $ \w -> ep   w == S.ep   w
 prop_lir  = forAll perm $ \w -> lir  w == S.lir  w
 prop_ldr  = forAll perm $ \w -> ldr  w == S.ldr  w
 prop_rir  = forAll perm $ \w -> rir  w == S.rir  w
@@ -529,6 +540,7 @@
     , ("des",          check prop_des)
     , ("exc",          check prop_exc)
     , ("fp",           check prop_fp)
+    , ("cyc",          check prop_cyc)
     , ("inv",          check prop_inv)
     , ("maj",          check prop_maj)
     , ("lmin",         check prop_lmin)