:: using namespace boost; int i = 0; typedef std::vector< int > element_range_type; typedef std::list< int > index_type; static const int element_range_size = 10; static const int index_size = 4; element_range_type elements( element_range_size ); for(element_range_type::iterator el_it = elements.begin() ; el_it != elements.end() ; ++el_it) *el_it = std::distance(elements.begin(), el_it); index_type indices( index_size ); for(index_type::iterator i_it = indices.begin() ; i_it != indices.end() ; ++i_it ) *i_it = element_range_size - index_size + std::distance(indices.begin(), i_it); std::reverse( indices.begin(), indices.end() ); typedef permutation_iterator< element_range_type::iterator, index_type::iterator > permutation_type; permutation_type begin = make_permutation_iterator( elements.begin(), indices.begin() ); permutation_type it = begin; permutation_type end = make_permutation_iterator( elements.begin(), indices.end() ); std::cout << "The original range is : "; std::copy( elements.begin(), elements.end(), std::ostream_iterator< int >( std::cout, " " ) ); std::cout << "\n"; std::cout << "The reindexing scheme is : "; std::copy( indices.begin(), indices.end(), std::ostream_iterator< int >( std::cout, " " ) ); std::cout << "\n"; std::cout << "The permutated range is : "; std::copy( begin, end, std::ostream_iterator< int >( std::cout, " " ) ); std::cout << "\n"; std::cout << "Elements at even indices in the permutation : "; it = begin; for(i = 0; i < index_size / 2 ; ++i, it+=2 ) std::cout << *it << " "; std::cout << "\n"; std::cout << "Permutation backwards : "; it = begin + (index_size); assert( it != begin ); for( ; it-- != begin ; ) std::cout << *it << " "; std::cout << "\n"; std::cout << "Iterate backward with stride 2 : "; it = begin + (index_size - 1); for(i = 0 ; i < index_size / 2 ; ++i, it-=2 ) std::cout << *it << " "; std::cout << "\n"; The output is:: The original range is : 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 The reindexing scheme is : 9 8 7 6 The permutated range is : 9 8 7 6 Elements at even indices in the permutation : 9 7 Permutation backwards : 6 7 8 9 Iterate backward with stride 2 : 6 8 The source code for this example can be found `here`__. __ ../example/permutation_iter_example.cpp