Probabilistic zero forcing with vertex reversion

Abstract

Probabilistic zero forcing is a graph coloring process in which blue vertices "infect" (color blue) white vertices with a probability proportional to the number of neighboring blue vertices. This paper introduces reversion probabilistic zero forcing (RPZF), which shares the same infection dynamics but also allows for blue vertices to revert to being white in each round. A threshold number of blue vertices is produced such that the complete graph is entirely blue in the next round of RPZF with high probability. Utilizing Markov chain theory, a tool is formulated which, given a graph's RPZF Markov transition matrix, calculates the probability of whether the graph becomes all white or all blue as well as the time at which this is expected to occur