In a world where multimillion-dollar trades take place in less than millionths of a second, and high-frequency traders devise ever-changing ways to trade the markets, a big market regulator faces a Herculean task to keep pace.

So in January, US regulator the Securities and Exchange Commission set up a new unit, the Office of Analytics and Research, whose primary role is to provide expertise in quantitative data analysis, trading, portfolio management and risk management. It will help it set policy and review new rules and products more quickly.