1. A method for matching users, comprising: determining a plurality of prospective communications through a communication network, each prospective communication involving at least two respective users; maintaining a plurality of user profiles in at least one first memory, each comprising a plurality of user characteristics of the respective users; determining, by at least one automated processor, an economic variable representing an aggregate value of a plurality of mutually inconsistent candidate sets of communications through the communication network according to the plurality of prospective communications, each candidate set comprising a plurality of concurrent matches each representing a communication link associated with a communication of information through the communication network between the at least two respective users during a time interval and exhausting at least a portion of an available concurrent matching capacity for a respective user involved in the concurrent match, based on at least: (a) an analysis of the plurality of user characteristics of the respective user profiles for each respective concurrent match retrieved from the at least one first memory, and (b) a predicted gain resulting from the respective concurrent match; performing an optimization using the at least one automated processor, comprising automatically selecting an estimated optimum set selected from the plurality of mutually inconsistent candidate sets, by determining a respective candidate set of concurrent matches having a highest net benefit, based on at least the economic variable comprising the aggregate value associated with that respective candidate set; storing in at least one second memory a description of the estimated optimum set of concurrent matches; and controlling an automated communication routing device, after performing the optimization and before an expiration of the time interval, to establish a plurality of concurrent communication links according to the optimum candidate set of concurrent matches stored in the at least one second memory, to route a plurality of communications of information between the respective users through the communication network.