Uniqueness of meromorphic functions and question of Gross (Q1340026)

The author proves new uniqueness theorems for entire and meromorphic functions. The initial is the work of R. Nevanlinna (1929). The investigations extended Hiong King-Lai (1955, 1958, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1963), F. Gross (1968, 1977) Yi, Hong-Xun (1988, 1988, 1990, 1990), K. Tohge (1988). There are five theorems in the article. Let \(f(z)\) be a meromorphic function in \(\mathbb{C}\), \(S \subset \mathbb{C}\) be a set, \(E_ f(S) = \bigcup_{\alpha \in S} \{z \mid f(z) - \alpha = 0\}\) where zeroes of the equation \(f(z) - \alpha = 0\) counted with correct multiplicity, \(W = \text{exp} \left( {2\pi i\over n}\right)\), \(n \in \mathbb{N}\). Theorem 2. Let \(S = \{a + b, a + bW, \dots, a + bW^{n - 1}\}\) where \(n > 8\), \(b \neq 0\). If \(f\) and \(g\) are meromorphic functions such that \(E_ f(S) = E_ g(S)\), then \(f - a = t(g - a)\) where \(t^ n = 1\) or \((f - a) (g - a) = \tau\) where \(\tau^ n = b^{2n}\). When \(f\) and \(g\) are entire functions the condition \(n > s\) can be replaced by \(n > 4\). Theorem 5. Let \(S_ 1 = \{a + b, \dots, a + bW^{n-1}\}\), \(S_ 2 = \{c_ 1, c_ 2\}\) where \(n > 8\), \(b \neq 0\), \((c_ 1 - a)^ n \neq (c_ 2 - a)^ n\), \((c_ k - a)^ n (c_ j - a)^ n \neq b^{2n}\) \((k, j = 1,2\)). Suppose that \(f\) and \(g\) are nonconstant meromorphic functions satisfying \(E_ f(S_ j) = E_ g(S_ j)\) for \(j = 1,2\), then \(f = g\). Theorem 5 answers a question posed by F. Gross (1977).