diff --git a/reasoning_gym/algorithmic/rotate_matrix.py b/reasoning_gym/algorithmic/rotate_matrix.py
index 4fdf651e..adeaa47c 100644
--- a/reasoning_gym/algorithmic/rotate_matrix.py
+++ b/reasoning_gym/algorithmic/rotate_matrix.py
@@ -60,22 +60,16 @@ class RotateMatrixDataset(ProceduralDataset):
         matrix = [numbers[i * n : (i + 1) * n] for i in range(n)]
         return matrix
 
+    def _rot90(self, matrix: list[list[int]]) -> list[list[int]]:
+        """quarter clockwise rotation"""
+        return [list(row) for row in zip(*matrix[::-1])]
+
     def _get_rotated(self, matrix: list[list[int]], num_rotations: int) -> list[list[int]]:
         """Rotate the matrix K times by 90 degrees clockwise"""
         num_rotations %= 4
-        n = len(matrix)
         output = deepcopy(matrix)
-
         for _ in range(num_rotations):
-            for l in range(n // 2):
-                for i in range(l, n - 1 - l):
-                    (output[l][i], output[i][n - 1 - l], output[n - 1 - l][n - 1 - i], output[n - 1 - i][l]) = (
-                        output[n - 1 - i][l],
-                        output[l][i],
-                        output[i][n - 1 - l],
-                        output[n - 1 - l][n - 1 - i],
-                    )
-
+            output = self._rot90(output)
         return output
 
     def _matrix_to_str(self, matrix: list[list[int]]) -> str: