Value sharing results for shifts of meromorphic functions (Q629199)

The key result in this paper reads as follows: Suppose \(f\) is a transcendental entire function of finite order, \(c\) is a non-zero complex number, \(P(z)\) is a non-vanishing polynomial of degree \(n\) and \(m<n\) is the number of distinct zeros of \(P(z)\). Then \(P(z)f(z+c)-a(z)\) has infinitely many zeros, provided \(a(z)\) is a non-vanishing small function in the sense of Nevanlinna theory, \(T(r,a)=S(r,f)\). This result is an improvement to preceding results found in [\textit{I. Laine, C.-C. Yang}, Proc. Japan Acad. Ser. A Math. Sci. 83, 148--151 (2007; Zbl 1153.30030)] and [\textit{K. Liu, L.-Z. Yang}, Arch. Math. 92, 270--278 (2009; Zbl 1173.30018)]. The authors remark that the result above remains valid if \(f\) is permitted to be a meromorphic function of finite order with few poles in the sense of \(N(r,f)=S(r,f)\). Examples show that the result may fail if \(N(r,f)\neq S(r,f)\). Another result in the present paper is of uniqueness type, treating the case when \(f,g\) are transcendental entire functions of finite order and \(P(f)f(z+c)\) and \(P(g)g(z+c)\) share the value \(z=1\), counting multiplicity. Then three possibilities may occur: Either \(f=tg\), or \(f,g\) are algebraically dependent or \(f,g\) are exponentials of certain polynomials.