On results of H. Ueda and G. Brosch concerning the unicity of meromorphic functions (Q2642159)

This paper offers an interesting contribution to the unicity theory of meromorphic functions. The classical four value theorem due to R. Nevanlinna tells that whenever two non-constant meromorphic functions \(f\) and \(g\) share four distinct extended complex values \(CM\) (= counting multiplicity), then \(f\) must be a bilinear transformation of \(g\). This has been generalized by \textit{G. G. Gundersen} to 3CM + IM (= ignoring multiplicities), see [J. Lond. Math. Soc. (2) 20, 456--466 (1979; Zbl 0413.30025)], and further to 2CM + 2IM [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 277, 545--567 (1983; Zbl 0508.30029)]. In the present paper, the notion of weighted sharing due to \textit{I. Lahiri}, see [Nagoya Math. J. 161, 193--206 (2001; Zbl 0981.30023)], several uniqueness results for meromorphic functions will be proved. As to the weighted sharing, \(E_{k}(a,f)\) denotes the set of zeros of \(f-a\) with multiplicities counted \(m\) for a zero of \(f-a\) of multiplicity \(m\leq k\), and with multiplicity \(k+1\) for a zero of multiplicity \(m>k\). Moreover, \(\overline{E}_{k)}(a,f)\) denotes the set of zeros of \(f\) of multiplicity \(\leq k\), each such zero counted only once. The key result in this paper now reads as follows: Suppose \(f\) and \(g\) be two distinct non-constant meromorphic functions that satisfy \(E_{k_{j}}(a_{j},f)=E_{k_{j}}(a_{j},g)\), \(j=1,2,3\), for three distinct extended complex values \(a_{1},a_{2},a_{3}\) such that \(k_{1}k_{2}k_{3}>k_{1}+k_{2}+k_{3}+2\). Suppose, moreover, that \(\overline{E}_{k)}(a_{4},f)=\overline{E}_{k)}(a_{5},g)\) for two other values \(a_{4},a_{5}\) distinct from \(a_{1},a_{2},a_{3}\) and for some \(k\geq 2\). Then \(f\) is a bilinear transformation of \(g\). The proofs combine extensive use of Nevanlinna theory to several auxiliary functions typical for the unicity theory of meromorphic functions.