Unicity theorems for entire functions (Q5906557)

Let \(f(z)\) be a meromorphic function in \(\mathbb{C}\), \(E_ f(S)\) be the set with multiplicity defined as \(\bigcup_{a\in S} \{z: f(z)- a= 0\}\), where each zero of \(f-a\) with multiplicity \(m\) is repeated \(m\) times. In the note there are five theorems in which the following equalities are presumed: \(E_ f(S_ j)= E_ g(S_ j)\) for \(j= 1,2\) or \(j= 1,2,3\). Theorem 1. Let \(S_ 1= \{a+ b, a+ bw,\dots, a+ bw^{n-1}\}\), \(S_ 2= \{c\}\), where \(w=\exp{2\pi i\over n}\), \(n>4\), \(a\), \(b\) and \(c\) are constant such that \(b\neq 0\), \(c\neq a\), \((c-a)^{2n}\neq b^{2n}\). Suppose that \(f\) and \(g\) are nonconstant entire functions satisfying \(E_ f(S_ j)= E_ g(S_ j)\) for \(j=1,2\). Then \(f= g\). Theorem 1 answers a question of F. Gross. In other theorems the conclusions have the form \(f= g\), \(f-a= t(g- a)\) and so on. The technique of investigation uses Nevanlinna's second fundamental theorem and one of Nevanlinna's lemmas (1929) and a propositions of the form: if \(E_ f(S_ j)= E_ g(S_ j)\), \(j=1,2\), \(S_ 1= \{1,w,\dots,w^{n-1}\}\), \(S_ 2= \{\infty\}\), then \(f^ n- 1= e^ h(g^ n-1)\), where \(h\) is an entire function.