English

Critical percolation on preferential attachment graphs with infinite variance

Probability 2026-06-26 v1 Combinatorics

Abstract

We study the inhomogeneous random graph with preferential attachment kernel and degree distribution with power-law exponent τ(2,3)\tau\in(2,3) as a representative of the class of graphs of preferential attachment type with infinite variance degrees. Under bond percolation with a positive retention probability independent of the size nn of the graph there is a unique macroscopic component with high probability. We therefore investigate percolation probabilities pn0p_n\downarrow0. We identify a moving critical window at pcβn(τ3)/(2τ2)p_c \sim \beta n^{(\tau-3)/(2\tau-2)}. Above this window, when pnpcp_n \gg p_c, the maximal component has size of order npn(τ1)/(3τ)n p^{_{(\tau-1)/(3-\tau)}}_{_n} and it is unique. Below this window, when n1/(1τ)pnpcn^{1/(1-\tau)} \ll p_n \ll p_c, it is non-unique, star-shaped and has size of order n1/(τ1)pnn^{1/(\tau-1)} p_n. In the critical window itself, the largest component scaled by n\sqrt{n} converges in distribution to a positive random variable with a law given in terms of a subcritical Norros-Reittu graph. This behaviour is markedly different from that seen for other classes of scale-free graphs and is conjectured to persist throughout the broad class of growing graphs with infinite variance.

Cite

@article{arxiv.2606.27844,
  title  = {Critical percolation on preferential attachment graphs with infinite variance},
  author = {Peter Mörters and Lucas Schätze},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2606.27844},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

35 pages

R2 v1 2026-07-22T20:10:59.722Z