Non-real zeros of derivatives of meromorphic functions (Q1687973)

The paper proves a collection of results on real and strictly non-real meromorphic functions in the plane. Setting \(g(z) = \overline{f(\overline{z})}\), a meromorphic function \(f\) is called real if \(g=f\) and strictly non-real if \(g/f\) is non-constant. There is a literature on classifying real and strictly non-real meromorphic functions which have certain further conditions, for example on the poles or zeros of \(f\) and its derivatives. We refer to the paper for appropriate references. Some of the results in this paper head towards the following conjecture from [\textit{S. Hellerstein} et al, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 285, 759--776 (1984; Zbl 0549.30021)]: if \(f\) is a real transcendental meromorphic function with at least one pole and all zeros and poles of \(f,f'\) and \(f''\) are real and all poles of \(f\) are simple, then \(f(z) = C\tan(az+b) +Dz+E\) for constants \(a,b,C,D,E\in\mathbb{R}\). The paper gives a complete history of this conjecture and the progress towards it, as well as proofs of several other similar results.