diff --git a/src/data/fin.lean b/src/data/fin.lean
index e69c1240ee239..b7c88f3341e53 100644
--- a/src/data/fin.lean
+++ b/src/data/fin.lean
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ This file expands on the development in the core library.
   `0`-th element `C (n+1) 0` of an `(n+1)`-tuple, and `Hs n i` defines `(i+1)`-st element
   of `(n+1)`-tuple based on `n`, `i`, and `i`-th element of `n`-tuple.
 * `fin.succ_rec_on` : same as `fin.succ_rec` but `i : fin n` is the first argument;
+* `fin.induction` : Define `C i` by induction on `i : fin (n + 1)`, separating into the
+  `nat`-like base cases of `C 0` and `C (i.succ)`.
+* `fin.induction_on` : same as `fin.induction` but with `i : fin (n + 1)` as the first argument.
 
 ### Casts
 
@@ -666,13 +669,43 @@ rfl
   @fin.succ_rec_on (succ n) i.succ C H0 Hs = Hs n i (fin.succ_rec_on i H0 Hs) :=
 by cases i; refl
 
+/--
+Define `C i` by induction on `i : fin (n + 1)` via induction on the underlying `nat` value.
+This function has two arguments: `h0` handles the base case on `C 0`,
+and `hs` defines the inductive step using `C i.cast_succ`.
+-/
+@[elab_as_eliminator] def induction
+  {C : fin (n + 1) → Sort*}
+  (h0 : C 0)
+  (hs : ∀ i : fin n, C i.cast_succ → C i.succ) :
+  Π (i : fin (n + 1)), C i :=
+begin
+  rintro ⟨i, hi⟩,
+  induction i with i IH,
+  { rwa [fin.mk_zero] },
+  { refine hs ⟨i, lt_of_succ_lt_succ hi⟩ _,
+    exact IH (lt_of_succ_lt hi) }
+end
+
+/--
+Define `C i` by induction on `i : fin (n + 1)` via induction on the underlying `nat` value.
+This function has two arguments: `h0` handles the base case on `C 0`,
+and `hs` defines the inductive step using `C i.cast_succ`.
+
+A version of `fin.induction` taking `i : fin (n + 1)` as the first argument.
+-/
+@[elab_as_eliminator] def induction_on (i : fin (n + 1))
+  {C : fin (n + 1) → Sort*}
+  (h0 : C 0)
+  (hs : ∀ i : fin n, C i.cast_succ → C i.succ) : C i :=
+induction h0 hs i
+
 /-- Define `f : Π i : fin n.succ, C i` by separately handling the cases `i = 0` and
 `i = j.succ`, `j : fin n`. -/
 @[elab_as_eliminator] def cases
   {C : fin (succ n) → Sort*} (H0 : C 0) (Hs : Π i : fin n, C (i.succ)) :
-  Π (i : fin (succ n)), C i
-| ⟨0, h⟩ := H0
-| ⟨succ i, h⟩ := Hs ⟨i, lt_of_succ_lt_succ h⟩
+  Π (i : fin (succ n)), C i :=
+induction H0 (λ i _, Hs i)
 
 @[simp] theorem cases_zero {n} {C : fin (succ n) → Sort*} {H0 Hs} : @fin.cases n C H0 Hs 0 = H0 :=
 rfl
@@ -681,6 +714,10 @@ rfl
   @fin.cases n C H0 Hs i.succ = Hs i :=
 by cases i; refl
 
+@[simp] theorem cases_succ' {n} {C : fin (succ n) → Sort*} {H0 Hs} {i : ℕ} (h : i + 1 < n + 1) :
+  @fin.cases n C H0 Hs ⟨i.succ, h⟩ = Hs ⟨i, lt_of_succ_lt_succ h⟩ :=
+by cases i; refl
+
 lemma forall_fin_succ {P : fin (n+1) → Prop} :
   (∀ i, P i) ↔ P 0 ∧ (∀ i:fin n, P i.succ) :=
 ⟨λ H, ⟨H 0, λ i, H _⟩, λ ⟨H0, H1⟩ i, fin.cases H0 H1 i⟩
diff --git a/src/data/matrix/notation.lean b/src/data/matrix/notation.lean
index 3a780444bdeb2..dc200503141db 100644
--- a/src/data/matrix/notation.lean
+++ b/src/data/matrix/notation.lean
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ by simp [vec_cons]
 
 @[simp] lemma cons_val_succ' {i : ℕ} (h : i.succ < m.succ) (x : α) (u : fin m → α) :
   vec_cons x u ⟨i.succ, h⟩ = u ⟨i, nat.lt_of_succ_lt_succ h⟩ :=
-by simp [vec_cons, fin.cons, fin.cases]
+by simp only [vec_cons, fin.cons, fin.cases_succ']
 
 @[simp] lemma head_cons (x : α) (u : fin m → α) :
   vec_head (vec_cons x u) = x :=