diff --git a/book/src/SUMMARY.md b/book/src/SUMMARY.md
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--- a/book/src/SUMMARY.md
+++ b/book/src/SUMMARY.md
@@ -8,3 +8,4 @@
   - [Gadgets](user/gadgets.md)
   - [Tips and tricks](user/tips-and-tricks.md)
 - [Design](design.md)
+  - [Permutation argument](design/permutation.md)
diff --git a/book/src/design/permutation.md b/book/src/design/permutation.md
new file mode 100644
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@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+# Permutation argument
+
+Given that gates in halo2 circuits operate "locally" (on cells in the current row or
+defined relative rows), it is common to need to copy a value from some arbitrary cell into
+the current row for use in a gate. This is performed with an equality constraint, which
+enforces that the source and destination cells contain the same value.
+
+We implement these equality constraints by constructing a permutation that represents the
+constraints, and then using a permutation argument within the proof to enforce them.
+
+## Notation
+
+A permutation is a one-to-one and onto mapping of a set onto itself. A permutation can be
+factored uniquely into a composition of cycles (up to ordering of cycles, and rotation of
+each cycle).
+
+We sometimes use [cycle notation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permutation#Cycle_notation)
+to write permutations. Let $(a\ b\ c)$ denote a cycle where $a$ maps to $b$, $b$ maps to
+$c$, and $c$ maps to $a$ (with the obvious generalisation to arbitrary-sized cycles).
+Writing two or more cycles next to each other denotes a composition of the corresponding
+permutations. For example, $(a\ b)\ (c\ d)$ denotes the permutation that maps $a$ to $b$,
+$b$ to $a$, $c$ to $d$, and $d$ to $c$.
+
+## Constructing the permutation
+
+### Goal
+
+We want to construct a permutation in which each subset of variables that are in a
+equality-constraint set form a cycle. For example, suppose that we have a circuit that
+defines the following equality constraints:
+
+- $a \equiv b$
+- $a \equiv c$
+- $d \equiv e$
+
+From this we have the equality-constraint sets $\{a, b, c\}$ and $\{d, e\}$. We want to
+construct the permutation:
+
+$$(a\ b\ c)\ (d\ e)$$
+
+which defines the mapping of $[a, b, c, d, e]$ to $[b, c, a, e, d]$.
+
+### Algorithm
+
+We need to keep track of the set of cycles, which is a
+[set of disjoint sets](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disjoint-set_data_structure).
+Efficient data structures for this problem are known; for the sake of simplicity we choose
+one that is not asymptotically optimal but is easy to implement.
+
+We represent the current state as:
+
+- an array $\mathsf{mapping}$ for the permutation itself;
+- an auxiliary array $\mathsf{aux}$ that keeps track of a distinguished element of each
+  cycle;
+- another array $\mathsf{sizes}$ that keeps track of the size of each cycle.
+
+We have the invariant that for each element $x$ in a given cycle $C$, $\mathsf{aux}(x)$
+points to the same element $c \in C$. This allows us to quickly decide whether two given
+elements $x$ and $y$ are in the same cycle, by checking whether
+$\mathsf{aux}(x) = \mathsf{aux}(y)$. Also, $\mathsf{sizes}(\mathsf{aux}(x))$ gives the
+size of the cycle containing $x$. (This is guaranteed only for
+$\mathsf{sizes}(\mathsf{aux}(x)))$, not for $\mathsf{sizes}(x)$.)
+
+The algorithm starts with a representation of the identity permutation:
+for all $x$, we set $\mathsf{mapping}(x) = x$, $\mathsf{aux}(x) = x$, and
+$\mathsf{sizes}(x) = 1$.
+
+To add an equality constraint $\mathit{left} \equiv \mathit{right}$:
+
+1. Check whether $\mathit{left}$ and $\mathit{right}$ are already in the same cycle, i.e.
+   whether $\mathsf{aux}(\mathit{left}) = \mathsf{aux}(\mathit{right})$. If so, there is
+   nothing to do.
+2. Otherwise, $\mathit{left}$ and $\mathit{right}$ belong to different cycles. Make
+   $\mathit{left}$ the larger cycle and $\mathit{right}$ the smaller one, by swapping them
+   iff $\mathsf{sizes}(\mathsf{aux}(\mathit{left})) < \mathsf{sizes}(\mathsf{aux}(\mathit{right}))$.
+3. Following the mapping around the right (smaller) cycle, for each element $x$ set
+   $\mathsf{aux}(x) = \mathsf{aux}(\mathit{left})$.
+4. Splice the smaller cycle into the larger one by swapping $\mathsf{mapping}(\mathit{left})$
+   with $\mathsf{mapping}(\mathit{right})$.
+
+For example, given two disjoint cycles $(A\ B\ C\ D)$ and $(E\ F\ G\ H)$:
+
+```
+A +---> B
+^       +
+|       |
++       v
+D <---+ C       E +---> F
+                ^       +
+                |       |
+                +       v
+                H <---+ G
+```
+
+After adding constraint $B \equiv E$ the above algorithm produces the cycle:
+
+```
+A +---> B +-------------+
+^                       |
+|                       |
++                       v
+D <---+ C <---+ E       F
+                ^       +
+                |       |
+                +       v
+                H <---+ G
+```
+
+### Broken alternatives
+
+If we did not check whether $\mathit{left}$ and $\mathit{right}$ were already in the same
+cycle, then we could end up undoing an equality constraint. For example, if we have the
+following constraints:
+
+- $a \equiv b$
+- $b \equiv c$
+- $c \equiv d$
+- $b \equiv d$
+
+and we tried to implement adding an equality constraint just using step 4 of the above
+algorithm, then we would end up constructing the cycle $(a\ b)\ (c\ d)$, rather than the
+correct $(a\ b\ c\ d)$.
+
+## Argument specification
+
+TODO: Document what we do with the permutation once we have it.