On Bank-Laine functions (Q5971123)

A Bank--Laine function \(E\) is an entire function such that \(E'(z_{0})=\pm 1\) at all zeros \(z_{0}\) of \(E\). Moreover, a sequence \((a_{n})\) of complex numbers is called a Bank--Laine sequence if it is precisely the zero-sequence of a Bank--Laine function of finite order. The main result in this paper is the following: Suppose that \((a_{n})\) is a sequence of distinct complex numbers such that the imaginary part of \(a_{n}\) is very close to zero and such that for \(\varepsilon >0\), we have \(|a_{m}-a_{n}|>\varepsilon |a_{n}|>0\) for all \(m\neq n\). Then \((a_{n})\) is not a Bank--Laine sequence. This result is an improvement of a previous result due to \textit{S. M. Elzaidi} [Complex Variables Theory Appl., 38, 201--220 (1999; Zbl 1036.34099)].