For example, Lars Rasmusson, now at the Swedish Institute of Computer Science, and HP research scientist Li Zhang heard about the project and contributed algorithms for Tycoon.

The relationship between the two disciplines wasn't always harmonious. Lai found that many economic theories didn't apply in practice. "Previous work from economists didn't take into account the realities of computer systems," he says. "Like the fact that they fail, there is latency, and that users put a high value to having low latency to do these jobs quickly. We had to take into account this reality and overcome it."

HP has been testing Tycoon since November 2004 at its Singapore offices and in several European locations. This summer, the lab began a pilot project with a Scandinavian company. Engineers will use Tycoon to bid on access to high-powered computers needed for simulations.

Tycoon is still in its research phase but is available as a free download on HP's Web site. Marketing a commercial Tycoon product won't happen anytime soon because the technology represents a major shift in business process, Huberman says. But in the future, businesses that otherwise couldn't afford high-powered computing may be able to access leading-edge technology through Tycoon.