Classification of Riemann surfaces with a nonconstant meromorphic function bounded at infinity (Q1278922)

Let \(R\) be a Riemann surface, \(H^{\infty}(R)\) be the algebra of all bounded analytic functions on \(R\) and \(M^{\infty}(R)\) be the set of all meromorphic functions on \(R\) bounded at the infinity of \(R\). A family \({\mathcal A}\) of meromorphic functions on \(R\) is said to be separating if for any distinct points \(a,b\) of \(R\), there is a function \(f \in {\mathcal A}\) such that \(f(a) \neq f(b)\). An algebra \({\mathcal A}\) of meromorphic functions on \(R\) is said to be weakly separating if the family \(\{ f/g : f, g\in {\mathcal A}\), \(g\neq 0\}\) is separating. The main theorem in this paper is the following: Theorem. If \(R\) is a Riemann surface with weakly separating \(M^{\infty}(R)\) , then either \(H^{\infty}(R)\neq {\mathbb C}\) or \(H^{\infty}(R) = {\mathbb C}\) and \(R\) is conformally equivalent to a subdomain of a closed Riemann surface. As a corollary to this theorem, one obtains: Within the category of Riemann surface \(R\) with weakly separating \(M^{\infty}(R)\), the property \(H^{\infty}(R)\neq {\mathbb C}\) is a property of the ideal boundary. In case \(M^{\infty}(R)\) is not weakly separating, the author obtains a generalization of the theorem in terms of the Royden resolution.