/* create a Perl array filled with zeros */
SV* vec_zeros(int m) {
	int i;
	AV *myav;
	SV **svs;
	
	/* allocate memory for array */
	Newx(svs, m, SV *);

	/* for m array elements */
	for (i = 0; i < m; i++) {

		/* create a Perl SV (scalar value) */
		svs[i] = sv_newmortal();

		/* set SV to 0 */
		sv_setnv((SV*)svs[i], 0.0f);

	}

	/* make Perl AV */
	myav = av_make(m, svs);

	/* free allocated memory */
	Safefree(svs);

	/* return array reference */
	return newRV_noinc((SV*) myav);
	
}