diff --git a/src/mathfuns.jl b/src/mathfuns.jl
index b39f0f0..8139129 100644
--- a/src/mathfuns.jl
+++ b/src/mathfuns.jl
@@ -110,6 +110,15 @@ for (meth, libnm) in [(:nextprime,:nextprime)
     eval(Expr(:export, meth))
 end
 
+"Return coefficient of `x^n` term, `x` a symbol"
+function coeff(b::Basic, x, n)
+    c = Basic()
+    out = ccall((:basic_coeff, libsymengine), Nothing,
+                (Ref{Basic},Ref{Basic},Ref{Basic},Ref{Basic}),
+                c,b,Basic(x), Basic(n))
+    c
+end
+
 function Base.convert(::Type{CVecBasic}, x::Vector{T}) where T
     vec = CVecBasic()
     for i in x
diff --git a/src/numerics.jl b/src/numerics.jl
index 421acbc..c0b80d1 100644
--- a/src/numerics.jl
+++ b/src/numerics.jl
@@ -212,6 +212,51 @@ isnan(x::Basic) = ( x == NAN )
 isinf(x::Basic) = !isnan(x) & !isfinite(x)
 isless(x::Basic, y::Basic) = isless(N(x), N(y))
 
+# is_a_functions
+# could use metaprogramming here
+is_a_Number(x::Basic) =
+    Bool(convert(Int, ccall((:is_a_Number, libsymengine),
+                            Cuint, (Ref{Basic},), x)))
+is_a_Integer(x::Basic) =
+    Bool(convert(Int, ccall((:is_a_Integer, libsymengine),
+                            Cuint, (Ref{Basic},), x)))
+is_a_Rational(x::Basic) =
+    Bool(convert(Int, ccall((:is_a_Rational, libsymengine),
+                            Cuint, (Ref{Basic},), x)))
+is_a_RealDouble(x::Basic) =
+    Bool(convert(Int, ccall((:is_a_RealDouble, libsymengine),
+                            Cuint, (Ref{Basic},), x)))
+is_a_RealMPFR(x::Basic) =
+    Bool(convert(Int, ccall((:is_a_RealMPFR, libsymengine),
+                            Cuint, (Ref{Basic},), x)))
+is_a_Complex(x::Basic) =
+    Bool(convert(Int, ccall((:is_a_Complex, libsymengine),
+                            Cuint, (Ref{Basic},), x)))
+is_a_ComplexDouble(x::Basic) =
+    Bool(convert(Int, ccall((:is_a_ComplexDouble, libsymengine),
+                            Cuint, (Ref{Basic},), x)))
+is_a_ComplexMPC(x::Basic) =
+    Bool(convert(Int, ccall((:is_a_ComplexMPC, libsymengine),
+                            Cuint, (Ref{Basic},), x)))
+
+Base.isinteger(x::Basic) = is_a_Integer(x)
+function Base.isreal(x::Basic)
+    is_a_Number(x) || return false
+    is_a_Integer(x) || is_a_Rational(x) || is_a_RealDouble(x) || is_a_RealMPFR(x)
+end
+
+# may not allocate; seems more idiomatic than default x == zero(x)
+function Base.iszero(x::Basic)
+    is_a_Number(x) || return false
+    x == zero(x)
+end
+
+function Base.isone(x::Basic)
+    is_a_Number(x) || return false
+    x == one(x)
+end
+
+
 
 ## These should have support in symengine-wrapper, but currently don't
 trunc(x::Basic, args...) = Basic(trunc(N(x), args...))
diff --git a/src/types.jl b/src/types.jl
index f726fe5..e0cdd1f 100644
--- a/src/types.jl
+++ b/src/types.jl
@@ -233,13 +233,13 @@ BasicTrigFunction =  Union{[SymEngine.BasicType{Val{i}} for i in trig_types]...}
 
 ###
 "Is expression a symbol"
-is_symbol(x::Basic) = is_symbol(BasicType(x))
-is_symbol(x::BasicType{Val{:Symbol}}) = true
-is_symbol(x::BasicType) = false
-
+function is_symbol(x::SymbolicType)
+    res = ccall((:is_a_Symbol, libsymengine), Cuint, (Ref{Basic},), x)
+    Bool(convert(Int,res))
+end
 
 "Does expression contain the symbol"
-function has_symbol(ex::Basic, x::Basic)
+function has_symbol(ex::SymbolicType, x::SymbolicType)
     is_symbol(x) || throw(ArgumentError("Not a symbol"))
     res = ccall((:basic_has_symbol, libsymengine), Cuint, (Ref{Basic},Ref{Basic}),  ex, x)
     Bool(convert(Int, res))
diff --git a/test/runtests.jl b/test/runtests.jl
index 3a0171f..7e5aecc 100644
--- a/test/runtests.jl
+++ b/test/runtests.jl
@@ -80,6 +80,21 @@ println()
 @test subs(sin(x), x, pi) == 0
 @test sind(Basic(30)) == 1 // 2
 
+## predicates
+@vars x
+u,v,w = x(2.1), x(1), x(0)
+@test isreal(u)
+@test !isinteger(u)
+@test isinteger(v)
+@test isone(v)
+@test iszero(w)
+@test (@allocated isreal(u)) == 0
+@test (@allocated isinteger(v)) == 0
+@test (@allocated isone(x)) == 0
+@test (@allocated iszero(x)) == 0
+@test (@allocated isone(v)) > 0 # checking v==zero(v) value allocates
+@test (@allocated iszero(w)) > 0
+
 ## calculus
 x,y = symbols("x y")
 n = Basic(2)
@@ -188,9 +203,12 @@ x,y,z = symbols("x y z")
 # is/has/free symbol(s)
 @vars x y z
 @test SymEngine.is_symbol(x)
+@test (@allocated SymEngine.is_symbol(x)) == 0
 @test !SymEngine.is_symbol(x(2))
 @test !SymEngine.is_symbol(x^2)
 @test SymEngine.has_symbol(x^2, x)
+@test SymEngine.has_symbol(x, x)
+@test @allocated(SymEngine.has_symbol(x, x)) == 0
 @test SymEngine.has_symbol(sin(sin(sin(x))), x)
 @test !SymEngine.has_symbol(x^2, y)
 @test Set(free_symbols(x*y)) == Set([x,y])