Analytic functions sharing level curves and tracts (Q1080983)

The author constructs a unified theory of meromorphic functions that have moduli sharing a level set, resp. a level tract. The known results of the subject (e.g. the work of Valiron, Cartwright, Fuchs, Berman, Stephenson and Sundberg, and others) are subsumed and several new results are given. Open problems are stated. Given a Riemann surface \({\mathcal W}\) and a nontrivial arc \(\Gamma\subset {\mathcal W}\), the class \({\mathcal F}_{\Gamma}\) of nonconstant meromorphic functions on \({\mathcal W}\) taking values of modulus 1 on \(\Gamma\) is introduced. For the special cases where \({\mathcal W}\) is the Riemann sphere P, resp. the finite complex plane \({\mathbb{C}}\) or the open unit disc D and \(\Gamma \subset R^{\infty}\) (the extended real line), the notation \({\mathcal F}_ R\) is used in place of \({\mathcal F}_{\Gamma}.\) The central theorem states: If \({\mathcal W}\) is a simply-connected Riemann surface and \(\Gamma\) is as above and such that \({\mathcal F}_{\Gamma}\neq \emptyset\), then there exists a unique \(S\in \{P,C,D\}\) and an analytic map \(\phi\) : \({\mathcal W}\mapsto S\) such that \({\mathcal F}_{\Gamma}={\mathcal F}_ R\circ \phi \equiv \{F\circ \phi:\) \(F\subset {\mathcal F}_ R\}\). The developments are based on the notions of analytic \({\mathcal W}\)-entities (related to the constructions given by Weyl for analytic entities), function hypergroups and Schwarzian reflexion. The concept of a hypergroup was introduced by \textit{F. Marty} [Ann. École Norm., III. Sér. 53, 83-123 (1936; Zbl 0014.10403)]. Here the function hypergroup \(H_ f\) associated with f analytic on \({\mathcal W}\) is a specially discerned subhypergroup of a hypergroup associated by the author's theory with the family of analytic \({\mathcal W}\)-entities.