On the zeros of the derivative of a rational function (Q1106354)

The Sendov conjecture asserts that if all zeros \(z_ 1,z_ 2,...,z_ n\) of the polynomial P(z) lie in \(| z| \leq 1\), then in any disk \(| z-z_ k| \leq 1\), \(k=1,2,...,n\) lies at least one zero of P'(z). So far the Sendov conjecture has been proved only in some cases or under some additional assumptions about the polynomial (e.g. \(P(0)=0\) or \(P(1)=0).\) In this note the author proves some results which may be considered as the extension to rational functions for the corresponding results for polynomials. The main results are contained in the following two theorems. Theorem 2. Suppose that \[ (*)\quad R(z)=(z-1)\prod^{n}_{k=1}(z-a_ k)/\prod^{m}_{k=1}(z-b_ k)=N(z)/D(z),\quad n\geq 1, \] where \(\{a_ k\}\cap \{b_ k\}=\emptyset\), \(| a_ k| \leq 1\), for \(k=1,2,...,n\), \(a_ k,b_ k\neq 1\), and \(b_ k\) are simple poles. If \(m\neq n+1\), then R'(z) has at least one zero \(\xi^*\) in the disk \[ (**)\quad | z-(n-m)/2n| \leq (n+m)/2n. \] If \(m=n+1\), then there is at least one zero in \(| z| \leq 1.\) Theorem 4. Suppose that R(z) is given by (*), where \(\{a_ k\}\cap \{b_ k\}=\emptyset\), \(| a_ k| \leq 1\) for \(k=1,2,...,n\) and \(a_ k,b_ k\neq 1\). If \(m\neq n+1\) then the equation \[ (***)\quad D(z)N'(z)-N(z)D'(z)=0 \] has at least one root in the disk (**). If \(m=n+1\), then equation (***) has at least one root in \(| z| \leq 1\).