def measurenx_to_approxnx( roadnet, epsilon, length='length', weight1='weight1', weight2='weight2' ) :
    """
    input: a road network, with weights on its elements
    output:
    returns a graph summarizing the network optimization problem instance;
    roadnets are multi-digraph, where edge 'keys' are assumed to be unique,
    i.e., road names; and should be different from node labels too;
    """
    digraph = nx.DiGraph()
    #digraph.add_node('s')
    #digraph.add_node('t')
    SUPPLY = []
    DEMAND = []
    
    """ insert supply and demand of roads """
    for u,v, road, data in roadnet.edges_iter( keys=True, data=True ) :
        roadlen = float( data.get( length, 1 ) )   # float() just in case
        assert roadlen >= 0.
        
        """
        split the road into equal-length segments;
        create a node for each segment;
        record boundary points, and mass contained
        """
        N = int( np.ceil( roadlen / epsilon ) )
        eps = roadlen / N
        
        surplus = float( data.get( weight1, 0. ) ) - data.get( weight2, 0. )
        deficit = -surplus
        
        bd = np.linspace( 0, roadlen, N+1 )
        bd = [ roadmaps.RoadAddress( road, x ) for x in bd ]
        for i, boundary in enumerate( zip( bd[:-1], bd[1:] ) ) :
            if surplus > 0. :
                node = (road,i,'supply')
                digraph.add_node( node, boundary=boundary )
                digraph.add_edge( 's', node, flow=cvxpy.variable(), minflow=0., maxflow=surplus/N )
                SUPPLY.append( node )
            if deficit > 0. :
                node = (road,i,'demand')
                digraph.add_node( node, boundary=boundary )
                digraph.add_edge( node, 't', flow=cvxpy.variable(), minflow=0., maxflow=deficit/N )
                DEMAND.append( node )
    
    """ ...and nodes """
    for u, data in roadnet.nodes_iter( data=True ) :
        surplus = data.get( weight1, 0. ) - data.get( weight2, 0. )
        deficit = -surplus
        if surplus > 0. :
            boundary = [ roadmaps.roadify( roadnet, u, weight=length ) ]
            node = (u,'supply')
            digraph.add_node( node, boundary=boundary )
            digraph.add_edge( 's', node, flow=cvxpy.variable(), minflow=0., maxflow=surplus )
            SUPPLY.append( node )
        if deficit > 0. :
            boundary = [ roadmaps.roadify( roadnet, v, weight=length ) ]
            node = (u,'demand')
            digraph.add_node( node, boundary=boundary )
            digraph.add_edge( node, 't', flow=cvxpy.variable(), minflow=0., maxflow=deficit )
            DEMAND.append( node )
            
            
    """ generate bipartite graph b/w SUPPLY and DEMAND """
    for u, v in itertools.product( SUPPLY, DEMAND ) :
        bd_u = digraph.node[u]['boundary']
        bd_v = digraph.node[v]['boundary']
        options = [ pair for pair in itertools.product( bd_u, bd_v ) ]
        options = [ roadmaps.distance( roadnet, p, q, weight=length ) for p,q in options ]
        #options = [ np.inf ]
        w = min( options )
        W = max( options )
        
        flowvar = cvxpy.variable()
        digraph.add_edge( u, v, flow=flowvar, minflow=0., w=w, W=W, cost_lo = w * flowvar, cost_hi = W * flowvar )
        
    nxopt.attach_flownx_constraints( digraph )
    return digraph      # a flow network
def measurenx_to_approxnx(roadnet, epsilon, length="length", weight1="weight1", weight2="weight2"):
    """
    input: a road network, with weights on its elements
    output:
    returns a graph summarizing the network optimization problem instance;
    roadnets are multi-digraph, where edge 'keys' are assumed to be unique,
    i.e., road names; and should be different from node labels too;
    """
    digraph = nx.DiGraph()
    digraph.add_node("s")
    digraph.add_node("t")

    """ insert supply and demand of roads """
    for u, v, road, data in roadnet.edges_iter(keys=True, data=True):
        roadlen = float(data.get(length, 1))  # float() just in case
        assert roadlen >= 0.0

        oneway = data.get("oneway", False)

        surplus = float(data.get(weight1, 0.0)) - data.get(weight2, 0.0)
        deficit = -surplus

        """
        split the road into equal-length segments;
        create a node for each segment;
        """
        N = int(np.ceil(roadlen / epsilon))
        eps = roadlen / N

        if surplus > 0.0:
            NODES = [(road, k, "supply") for k in range(N)]
            for node in NODES:
                digraph.add_edge(
                    "s", node, flow=cvxpy.variable(), minflow=0.0, maxflow=surplus / N, w_lo=-eps, w_hi=0.0
                )

            SEQ = [u] + NODES + [v]
            for lnode, rnode in zip(SEQ[:-1], SEQ[1:]):
                digraph.add_edge(lnode, rnode, flow=cvxpy.variable(), minflow=0.0, w_lo=eps, w_hi=eps)
                if not oneway:
                    digraph.add_edge(rnode, lnode, flow=cvxpy.variable(), minflow=0.0, w_lo=eps, w_hi=eps)

        if deficit > 0.0:
            NODES = [(road, k, "demand") for k in range(N)]
            for node in NODES:
                digraph.add_edge(
                    node, "t", flow=cvxpy.variable(), minflow=0.0, maxflow=deficit / N, w_lo=-eps, w_hi=0.0
                )

            SEQ = [u] + NODES + [v]
            for lnode, rnode in zip(SEQ[:-1], SEQ[1:]):
                digraph.add_edge(lnode, rnode, flow=cvxpy.variable(), minflow=0.0, w_lo=eps, w_hi=eps)
                if not oneway:
                    digraph.add_edge(rnode, lnode, flow=cvxpy.variable(), minflow=0.0, w_lo=eps, w_hi=eps)

    """ insert supply and demand of nodes """
    for u, data in roadnet.nodes_iter(data=True):
        surplus = data.get(weight1, 0.0) - data.get(weight2, 0.0)
        deficit = -surplus

        # supply layer
        if surplus > 0.0:
            digraph.add_edge("s", u, flow=cvxpy.variable(), minflow=0.0, maxflow=surplus)
        if deficit > 0.0:
            digraph.add_edge(u, "t", flow=cvxpy.variable(), minflow=0.0, maxflow=deficit)

    """ setup the network flow structure """
    conns = roadmaps.connectivity_graph(roadnet)
    for u, v, data in conns.edges_iter(data=True):
        weight = data.get(length, 1)
        flowvar = cvxpy.variable()
        digraph.add_edge(u, v, flow=cvxpy.variable(), minflow=0.0, w_lo=weight, w_hi=weight)

    """ turn the weights into costs """
    for _, __, data in digraph.edges_iter(data=True):
        flowvar = data["flow"]
        if "w_lo" in data:
            data["cost_lo"] = data["w_lo"] * flowvar
        if "w_hi" in data:
            data["cost_hi"] = data["w_hi"] * flowvar

    nxopt.attach_flownx_constraints(digraph)
    return digraph  # a flownx