Node merging methods and apparatus are disclosed for generating simplified representations of network topology. A first topology representative of a given network is determined, and at least one pair of nodes of the first topology is merged into a single node based on measures associated with respective edges connecting the nodes of the node pair to at least one neighbor node common to that pair. The merging step is repeated for one or more additional pairs of nodes to produce a reduced network topology meeting one or more desired criteria, and a visualization or other representation of the reduced network topology is generated.