The winding number of \(Pf + 1\) for polynomials \(P\) and meromorphic extendibility of \(f\) (Q432330)

The author states the conjecture that a continuous function \(f:\partial\Delta\to\mathbb{C}\) extends holomorphically through the open unit disc \(\Delta\), if the winding number \(W\) of \(Pf+1\) around 0 is nonnegative for any polynomial \(P\) with \(Pf+1\neq0\) on \(\partial\Delta\). In this direction, his main result reads as follows. Assume that \(f:\partial\Delta\to\mathbb{C}\) is of class \(\mathcal{C}^\infty\) with at most finitely many zeros of finite order, and let \(J\in\mathbb{Z}_{\geq0}\). Then \(W(Pf+1)\geq-J\) holds for each \(P\) as above if and only if \(f\) extends meromorphically through \(\Delta\) with the extension having at most \(J\) poles, counting multiplicity. This implies, in particular, that the conjecture holds for real analytic \(f\).