A theorem on homogeneous differential polynomials (Q351074)

Let \(f(z)\) be a meromorphic function in the complex plane. The author considers the value distribution of a homogeneous differential polynomial in \(f\). The results in this paper are improvements of \textit{A. J. Whitehead}'s theorems appeared in his dissertation [Differential equations and differential polynomials in the complex plane. PhD thesis. Nottingham: University of Nottingham (2002)]. Let \(M_j\) be a differential monomial in a function \(f\) given by \(M_j[f]=f^{\mu_{0,j}}(f')^{\mu_{1,j}}\cdots(f^{(q)})^{\mu_{q,j}}\). Degree and weight are defined as \(\gamma_j=\mu_{0,j}+\dots+\mu_{q,j}\) and \(\Gamma_j = \mu_{0,j}+2\mu_{1,j}+\dots+(q+1)\mu_{q,j}\), respectively. The main result is the following: Let \(u = f/f'\), \(m\in \mathbb N\), and let \(F\) be a homogeneous differential polynomial in \(f\) of weight \(\Gamma_F\) be defined by \[ F= f^n + \sum_{j=1}^ma_jM_j[f], \] where \(M_j[f]\), \(j=1, 2, \dots, m\), are differential monomials as defined above with degree \(n\), and \(a_j\), \(j=1, 2, \dots, m\), are small functions with respect to \(u\) such that \(T(r,a_j)=S(r,u)\). Suppose that \(\mu_{0,j}\not\in\{n-1, n\}\) for any \(j\) and that \(\Gamma_F \geq 2n\). Then at least one of the following must hold: (1) \(f = Re^P\) for some rational function \(R\) and polynomial \(P\) in \(z\); (2) \(F\equiv f^n\); The inequality \[ T(r,u)\leq (\Gamma_F-3)\overline{N}_1\left(r,\frac{1}{f'}\right)+\overline{N}_2\left(r,\frac{1}{F}\right)+S(r,f), \] holds, where \(\overline{N}_1(r, 1/f')\) counts zeros of \(f'\) which are not zeros of \(f\), without counting multiplicity, and \(\overline {N}_2(r, 1/F)\) counts zeros of \(F\) which are neither poles nor zeros of \(f\), again without counting multiplicity. The methods and techniques of the proof are refinements of Whitehead's ideas.