diff --git a/kmath-core/src/commonMain/kotlin/space/kscience/kmath/misc/sorting.kt b/kmath-core/src/commonMain/kotlin/space/kscience/kmath/misc/sorting.kt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a144e49b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kmath-core/src/commonMain/kotlin/space/kscience/kmath/misc/sorting.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2018-2021 KMath contributors.
+ * Use of this source code is governed by the Apache 2.0 license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+ */
+
+package space.kscience.kmath.misc
+
+import kotlin.comparisons.*
+import space.kscience.kmath.structures.Buffer
+
+/**
+ * Return a new list filled with buffer indices. Indice order is defined by sorting associated buffer value.
+ * This feature allows to sort buffer values without reordering its content.
+ *
+ * @return List of buffer indices, sorted by associated value.
+ */
+@PerformancePitfall
+@UnstableKMathAPI
+public fun <V: Comparable<V>> Buffer<V>.permSort() : IntArray = _permSortWith(compareBy<Int> { get(it) })
+
+@PerformancePitfall
+@UnstableKMathAPI
+public fun <V: Comparable<V>> Buffer<V>.permSortDescending() : IntArray = _permSortWith(compareByDescending<Int> { get(it) })
+
+@PerformancePitfall
+@UnstableKMathAPI
+public fun <V, C: Comparable<C>> Buffer<V>.permSortBy(selector: (V) -> C) : IntArray = _permSortWith(compareBy<Int> { selector(get(it)) })
+
+@PerformancePitfall
+@UnstableKMathAPI
+public fun <V, C: Comparable<C>> Buffer<V>.permSortByDescending(selector: (V) -> C) : IntArray = _permSortWith(compareByDescending<Int> { selector(get(it)) })
+
+@PerformancePitfall
+@UnstableKMathAPI
+public fun <V> Buffer<V>.permSortWith(comparator : Comparator<V>) : IntArray = _permSortWith { i1, i2 -> comparator.compare(get(i1), get(i2)) }
+
+@PerformancePitfall
+@UnstableKMathAPI
+private fun <V> Buffer<V>._permSortWith(comparator : Comparator<Int>) : IntArray {
+    if (size < 2) return IntArray(size)
+
+    /* TODO: optimisation : keep a constant big array of indices (Ex: from 0 to 4096), then create indice
+     * arrays more efficiently by copying subpart of cached one. For bigger needs, we could copy entire
+     * cached array, then fill remaining indices manually. Not done for now, because:
+     *  1. doing it right would require some statistics about common used buffer sizes.
+     *  2. Some benchmark would be needed to ensure it would really provide better performance
+     */
+    val packedIndices = IntArray(size) { idx -> idx }
+
+    /* TODO: find an efficient way to sort in-place instead, and return directly the IntArray.
+     * Not done for now, because no standard utility is provided yet. An open issue exists for this.
+     * See: https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/KT-37860
+     */
+    return packedIndices.sortedWith(comparator).toIntArray()
+}
diff --git a/kmath-core/src/commonTest/kotlin/space/kscience/kmath/misc/PermSortTest.kt b/kmath-core/src/commonTest/kotlin/space/kscience/kmath/misc/PermSortTest.kt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0a2bb9138
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kmath-core/src/commonTest/kotlin/space/kscience/kmath/misc/PermSortTest.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2018-2021 KMath contributors.
+ * Use of this source code is governed by the Apache 2.0 license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+ */
+
+package space.kscience.kmath.misc
+
+import space.kscience.kmath.misc.PermSortTest.Platform.*
+import kotlin.random.Random
+import kotlin.test.Test
+import kotlin.test.assertEquals
+import kotlin.test.assertTrue
+
+import space.kscience.kmath.structures.IntBuffer
+import space.kscience.kmath.structures.asBuffer
+import kotlin.test.assertContentEquals
+
+class PermSortTest {
+
+    private enum class Platform {
+        ANDROID, JVM, JS, NATIVE, WASM
+    }
+
+    private val platforms = Platform.values().asBuffer()
+
+    /**
+     * Permutation on empty buffer should immediately return an empty array.
+     */
+    @Test
+    fun testOnEmptyBuffer() {
+        val emptyBuffer = IntBuffer(0) {it}
+        var permutations = emptyBuffer.permSort()
+        assertTrue(permutations.isEmpty(), "permutation on an empty buffer should return an empty result")
+        permutations = emptyBuffer.permSortDescending()
+        assertTrue(permutations.isEmpty(), "permutation on an empty buffer should return an empty result")
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun testOnSingleValueBuffer() {
+        testPermutation(1)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun testOnSomeValues() {
+        testPermutation(10)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun testPermSortBy() {
+        val permutations = platforms.permSortBy { it.name }
+        val expected = listOf(ANDROID, JS, JVM, NATIVE, WASM)
+        assertContentEquals(expected, permutations.map { platforms[it] }, "Ascending PermSort by name")
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun testPermSortByDescending() {
+        val permutations = platforms.permSortByDescending { it.name }
+        val expected = listOf(WASM, NATIVE, JVM, JS, ANDROID)
+        assertContentEquals(expected, permutations.map { platforms[it] }, "Descending PermSort by name")
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun testPermSortWith() {
+        var permutations = platforms.permSortWith { p1, p2 -> p1.name.length.compareTo(p2.name.length) }
+        val expected = listOf(JS, JVM, WASM, NATIVE, ANDROID)
+        assertContentEquals(expected, permutations.map { platforms[it] }, "PermSort using custom ascending comparator")
+
+        permutations = platforms.permSortWith(compareByDescending { it.name.length })
+        assertContentEquals(expected.reversed(), permutations.map { platforms[it] }, "PermSort using custom descending comparator")
+    }
+
+    private fun testPermutation(bufferSize: Int) {   
+
+        val seed = Random.nextLong()
+        println("Test randomization seed: $seed")
+
+        val buffer = Random(seed).buffer(bufferSize)
+        val indices = buffer.permSort()
+
+        assertEquals(bufferSize, indices.size)
+        // Ensure no doublon is present in indices
+        assertEquals(indices.toSet().size, indices.size)
+
+        for (i in 0 until (bufferSize-1)) {
+            val current = buffer[indices[i]]
+            val next = buffer[indices[i+1]]
+            assertTrue(current <= next, "Permutation indices not properly sorted")
+        }
+
+        val descIndices = buffer.permSortDescending()
+        assertEquals(bufferSize, descIndices.size) 
+        // Ensure no doublon is present in indices
+        assertEquals(descIndices.toSet().size, descIndices.size)
+
+        for (i in 0 until (bufferSize-1)) {
+            val current = buffer[descIndices[i]]
+            val next = buffer[descIndices[i+1]]
+            assertTrue(current >= next, "Permutation indices not properly sorted in descending order")
+        }
+    }
+
+    private fun Random.buffer(size : Int) = IntBuffer(size) { nextInt() }
+}