A convolution inequality with applications to function theory. II (Q1317286)

[For part I see the authors in Contemp. Math. 25, 141-147 (1983; Zbl 0535.30032).] Let \(f(z)\) be a meromorphic function in the complex plane. With the use of A. Baernstein's star function, we develop a new convolution inequality and use it to study the relationship between the growth of \(f(z)\) near \(\infty\) and the size of subsets of the circle \(\{| z |=r\}\) where \(f(z)\) is relatively large. Specifically, let \[ E(r, \alpha)=\{\theta:\log | f (re^{i \theta} |>\alpha T(r,f)\} \] where \(T(r,f)\) is the usual Nevanlinna characteristic. Denote by \(| E|\) the angular measure of the set \(E\). We seek precise lower bounds for \[ \sigma (\alpha,f)=\limsup_{r \to \infty} | E(r,\alpha) | \] in terms of the lower order \(\lambda\) of \(f\), the Nevanlinna deficiency \(\delta= \delta (\infty,f)\), and \(\alpha\). Baernstein's celebrated spread relation shows that \[ \sigma (0,f) \geq \{2 \pi,(\partial/ \lambda) \cos^{-1} (1-\delta). \] For \(\alpha>0\) sharp lower bounds for \(\sigma (\alpha,f)\) were obtained by Anderson and Baernstein. They ask for analogous estimates for \(\sigma (\alpha,f)\) with \(\alpha\) negative. Our method is flexible enough to obtain a result in this direction. A related problem, corresponding to the limiting case \(\sigma (\alpha,f)=2 \pi\), concerns finding precise lower estimates for \[ C(f)=\limsup_{r \to \infty} {A(r,f) \over T(r,f)} \] where \(A(r,f)\) is the minimum of \(\log | f(z) |\) on \(| z |=r\). One of our results in this direction affirms a conjecture of Anderson and Baernstein. We prove that if \(\lambda \in (0,1/2]\) and \(\delta \in (0,1- \cos \pi \lambda]\) then \[ C(f) \geq-\pi \lambda \sin \lambda (\pi-\beta) \] where \(\cos \beta \lambda=1-\delta\). Since for every other range of \(\delta\) and \(\lambda<1\) precise bounds for \(C(f)\) were previously known, our theorem fills a gap in the theory. Our method recovers these older results as well. We remark that all of our results are given in the more general setting of \(\delta\)-subharmonic function.