An approximation algorithm for zero forcing

Abstract: We give an algorithm that finds a zero forcing set which approximates the optimal size by a factor of $\text{pw}(G)+1$, where $\text{pw}(G)$ is the pathwidth of $G$. Starting from a path decomposition, the algorithm runs in $O(nm)$ time, where $n$ and $m$ are the order and size of the graph, respectively. As a corollary, we obtain a new upper bound on the zero forcing number in terms of the fort number and the pathwidth. The algorithm is based on a correspondence between zero forcing sets and forcing arc sets. This correspondence leads to a new bound on the zero forcing number in terms of vertex cuts, and to new, short proofs for known bounds on the zero forcing number.