On the growth and deficiencies of meromorphic functions of positive integral order (Q2266141)

Let f(z) be a meromorphic function of order q, q a positive integer. Let \(\lambda\) (N) be the order of \(N(r)=N(r,f)+N(r,1/f)\). The author investigates the behavior of f(z) when \(\lambda (N)=q\) and either \((1)\quad \int^{\infty}t^{-q-1}N(t)dt=\infty\) or \((2)\quad \int^{\infty}t^{-q-1}N(t)dt<\infty\) and \(\lim \inf_{r\to \infty}r^{-q}T(r,f)=0.\) (The remaining possibilities \(\lambda (N)<q\) or \(\lambda (N)=q\), \(\lim \inf_{r\to \infty}r^{-q}T(r,f)>0\) are much easier [\textit{A. Edrei} and the reviewer, Comment. Math. Helv. 33, 258-295 (1959; Zbl 0090.288)].) The author introduces a comparison function \(s(r)=qr^ q\int^{r}_{0}r^{-q-1}N(t)dt\) if (1) holds, \(s(r)=qr^ q\int^{\infty}_{r}t^{-q-1}N(t)dt,\) if (2) holds. We write \(m^ p_ p(w(\theta))=(1/2\pi)\int^{\pi}_{-\pi}| w(\theta)|^ pd\theta.\) Theorem 1. If f(z) satisfies the above conditions and \(f(0)=1\), then \[ (3)\quad \limsup_{r\to \infty}\{m_ p(\log | f(re^{i\theta})|)/s(r)\}\leq m_ p(\cos q\theta)\quad (1\leq p<\infty). \] Theorem 2. If, in addition, f(z) is entire and has only real, negative zeros, then equality holds in (3). Further, detailed estimates are given for log\(| f(z)|\) for z on a suitable, expanding sequence of circles, if f(z) satisfies the hypothesis of Theorem 2. The idea of using a comparison function like s(r) can also be found in the work of \textit{A. A. Gol'dberg} who anticipated some of the author's results [Mat. Sb., Nov. Ser. 61(103), 334-349 (1963; Zbl 0141.076)].