An extension of a theorem of Steinmetz (Q1174859)

If \(g\) is entire, \(n\geq 2\) is an integer and \(f_ j\not\equiv 0\) and \(h_ j\not\equiv 0\) \((1\leq j\leq n)\) are each meromorphic functions, where \(\sum^ n_{j=1}T(r,h_ j)\leq AT(r,g)+S(r,g)\) (for some \(A>0\)), then the identity \((1) \sum^ n_{j=1}f_ j(g(z))h_ j(z)\equiv 0\) may be replaced by \((2) \sum^ n_{j=1}P_ j(g(z))h_ j(z)=0\), where \(P_ j\) \((1\leq j\leq n)\) are nontrivial polynomials. The present authors give a generalization of this result (due to the reviewer, Math. Z. 170, 169-180 (1980; Zbl 0425.34006)) as follows: Instead of (1) consider \((1') \sum^ n_{j=1}F_ j(\psi_ j(z)g(z))h_ j(z)\equiv 0\), where \(\psi_ j\) \((1\leq j\leq n)\) is entire satisfying \(\sum^ n_{j=1}T_ j(r,\psi_ j)\leq BT(r,g)+S(r,g)\), where \(B<{1\over 64n^ 4\cdot A}\). Then \((2')\;\sum^ n_{j=1}P_ j(z,g(z))h_ j(z)\equiv 0\), where \(P_ j(z,w)\) \((1\leq j\leq n)\) is a polynomial in \(w\) over the field generated by \(\psi_ 1,\dots,\psi_ n\).