An extension of one direction in Marty's normality criterion (Q2249609)

Let \(F\) be a family of meromorphic functions in a domain \(D\). The article is devoted to the question of the relationship between the normality of \(F\) and the local uniform boundedness of \[ F_{k,\alpha} =\left\{\frac {|f^{(k)}|} {1+|f|^\alpha}: f\in F\right\}, \] where \(k\in \mathbb{N}\), \(\alpha> 1\) are fixed. For \(k=1=\alpha/2\), Marty's criterion gives an answer. For other \(k, \alpha\) there are results by Hinkkanen, Lappan, Li, Xie, Grahl, Nevo, Pang, Xu, concerning this question. In particular, \textit{Y. Xu} [Ann. Pol. Math. 101, No. 3, 227--235 (2011; Zbl 1312.30050)] obtained a sufficient normality condition for \(F\) in terms of the boundedness of the family \(F_{k,\alpha}\). The main result of the present paper is the following: let \(k\in \mathbb{N}\), \(\alpha> 1\) and \(F\) be a family of meromorphic functions in a domain \(D\) all poles of which having multiplicity at least \(\frac {k} {\alpha-1}\), then the normality of \(F\) implies that \(F_{k,\alpha}\) is locally uniformly bounded.