Three-sheeted algebroid surfaces whose Picard constants are five (Q1330240)

Let \(R\) be an open Riemann surface and \({\mathcal M} (R)\) be the family of non-constant meromorphic functions on \(R\). For \(f\in {\mathcal M} (R)\), let \(P(f)\) be the number of values not taken by \(f\). By definition, \(P(R)= \sup \{P(f); f\in {\mathcal M} (R)\}\) is called the Picard constant of \(R\). Since \(P(e^f)\geq 2\) for any entire function \(f\), we have always \(P(R)\geq 2\). Further, if \(R\) is an \(n\)-sheeted algebroid surface, then \(P(R)\leq 2n\). In this paper the authors study the case \(n=3\). If \(R\) is defined by \(y^3=g(x)\) for an entire function \(g(x)\) with infinitely many zeros of multiplicity one or two, then it is already known that a characterization for \(P(R)=6\) is that \(g(x)= (e^H-\alpha) (e^H-\beta)^2\), where \(\alpha\beta(\alpha-\beta) \neq 0\), \(H\) is a non-constant entire function with \(H(0)=0\) and that \(P(R)=5\) does not occur in this case [\textit{G. Hiromi} and \textit{K. Niino}, Kōdai Math. Sem. Rep. 17, 250-260 (1965; Zbl 0148.31204)]. On the other hand, for a general 3-sheeted algebroid surface, Ozawa recently gave a characterization for \(P(R)=6\). In this paper, the authors give several criteria for \(P(R)=5\). They are given by the observation of forms of the discriminant for the defining equation (as an algebroid function of degree 3) of \(R\).