Zero forcing number of graphs with a power law degree distribution

The zero forcing number is the minimum number of black vertices that can turn a white graph black following a single neighbor color forcing rule. The zero forcing number provides topological information about linear algebra on graphs, with applications to the controllability of quantum dynamical systems. Here, I investigate the zero forcing number of undirected graphs with a power law degree distribution p_{k}∼k^{-γ} by means of numerical simulations. For graphs generated by the preferential attachment model, with a diameter scaling logarithmically with the graph size, the zero forcing number approaches the graph size when γ→2. In contrast, for graphs generated by the deactivation model, with a diameter scaling linearly with the graph size, the zero forcing number is smaller than the graph size independently of γ. Therefore the scaling of the graph diameter with the graph size is another factor determining the controllability of dynamical systems. These results have implications for the controllability of quantum dynamics on energy landscapes, often characterized by a complex network of couplings between energy basins.