Graphical reduction of reaction networks by linear elimination of species

We give a graphically based procedure to reduce a reaction network to a smaller reaction network with fewer species after linear elimination of a set of noninteracting species. We give a description of the reduced reaction network, its kinetics and conservations laws, and explore properties of the network and its kinetics. We conclude by comparing our approach to an older similar approach by Temkin and co-workers. Finally, we apply the procedure to biological examples such as substrate mechanisms, post-translational modification systems and networks with intermediates (transient) steps.