Notes on Fermat-type difference equations (Q6961795)

Let \(p\), \(q\) be positive integers and \(c\) be a nonzero constant. By means of Nevanlinna theory, the authors consider the existence problem of meromorphic solutions of the Fermat-type difference equation\N\[\Nf(z)^p + f(z + c)^q = h(z),\tag{1}\N\]\Nwhere, \(h(z)\) is a meromorphic function. The authors assume that \(h\) has few zeros and poles in the sense that \(N(r, h) + N(r, 1/h) =S(r, h)\). The hyper-order of a meromorphic function \(f\) is defined by \(\rho_2(f)=\limsup_{r\to\infty} \log\log T(r,f)/\log r\). One of the results is the following. Suppose that \(p>q\). Then, (1) has no meromorphic solutions with \(\rho_2(f)<1\) except when \(p=2\) and \(q=1\). In this case, either: \N\begin{itemize}\N\item[(1)] \(f(z)=e^{\alpha z+\beta}-1\), where \(\alpha\), \(\beta\in \mathbb{C}\) satisfy \(e^{\alpha c}=2\); or \N\item[(2)] \(T(r,f)=\overline{N}(r,1/f')+S(r,f)\). \N\end{itemize}\NThis is a generalization of the result in [\textit{Y. Guo} and \textit{K. Liu}, Ann. Pol. Math. 131, No. 1, 1--19 (2023; Zbl 1527.30025)]. Some examples are given. The authors also consider the particular case when \(h(z)\) is a small function with respect to \(f\).