Abstract: Various tools and techniques are provided for reducing an original circuit network into a simpler, realizable RCLM circuit network. Branches of the original network are merged to reduce its total number of nodes. More particularly, the branches of the original circuit are merged so that the resulting reduced circuit approximately replicates the timing characteristics of the original circuit over the desired operating frequency range. The determination whether to merge two branches is made based upon one or more circuit characteristics associated with the node connecting the branches.