Real meromorphic functions and a result of Hinkkanen and Rossi (Q2267721): Difference between revisions

\textit{A. Hinkkanen} and \textit{J. Rossi} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 92, 72--74 (1984; Zbl 0565.30024)] proved that if \(f\) is a non-entire real transcendental meromorphic function such that \(f\) and \(f'\) have only real zeros and poles, and \(f'\) omits a nonzero value, then \(f\) is essentially of the form \(f(z)=\tan z - Bz-C\) for suitable values of \(B\) and \(C\). This result will be generalized here by considering real transcendental meromorphic functions \(f\) such that all but finitely many of the zeros and poles of \(f'\) are real, and that \(f'\) takes some nonzero finite value \(\alpha\) only finitely often. Moreover, the author proves a related converse result as well. Another result in the present paper is related to a preceding paper by \textit{W. P. Kohs} and \textit{J. Williamson} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 306, No. 2, 765--773 (1988; Zbl 0651.30021)]. Indeed, if \(g\) is transcendental meromorphic such that all but finitely many of the zeros and poles of \(g'\) are real, and \(g'(z)=\beta\) only finitely often for some finite nonzero \(\beta\), then either \(f=g/\beta +c_{0}\) satisfies the assumptions of the Hinkkanen-Rossi theorem, or \(g\) is of the form \(g(z)=R(z)\exp (icz)+\beta z+d\), where \(R\) is rational and \(c\) is a real constant. Finally, a variant to the first result assumes that \(f\) is of positive lower order, that \(\delta (\alpha ,f') > 0\), that all but finitely many of the poles of \(f\) are real, as well as the zeros and the \(\alpha\)-points of \(f'\). Then \(\alpha\) is real, and \(f(z)\) behaves asymptotically as \(\alpha z\) in a sector \(\varepsilon <|\arg z| < \pi -\varepsilon\). Examples are given to show that the situations described in the last two theorems indeed may appear.