Meromorphic functions sharing four small functions IM. (Q1411769)

This paper is devoted to considering two non-constant meromorphic functions \(f\) and \(g\) sharing four small functions in the following sense: Given \(a(z)\) a small function with respect to \(f\) and \(g\) in the usual sense of the Nevanlinna theory, we say that \(f,g\) share \(a(z)\) IM\(^*\), whenever \(\overline N(r,1/(f-a))-\overline N(r,f=a=g)=S(r,f)\) and similarly for~\(g\). Generalizing the corresponding previous results due to \textit{G. Gundersen} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 277, 545--567 (1983; Zbl 0508.30029)] about sharing four complex values, it will be proved that whenever \(f,g\) share four distinct small functions \(a_1(z),\dots,a_4(z)\) IM\(^*\), then \(\sum_{j=1}^4\overline N^*(r,a_j(z))=S(r,f)\), where \(\overline N^*(r,a_j(z))\) counts multiple common zeros of \(f-a_j\) and \(g-a_j\) only, each such point only once. By a quasi-Möbius transformation, one may assume that \(a_1=0\), \(a_2=1\), \(a_4=\infty\), while \(a_3\) is small and nonconstant. The actual proof then relies on a detailed analysis of typical functions in the shared value theory such as \(L(f,0,1)(f-g)L(g,1,a)/(f(f-1)(g-1)(g-a))\), where \[ L(h,a,b):=\begin{vmatrix} h&h'&1 \\ a&a'&1 \\ b&b'&1\end{vmatrix}. \]