Some properties of meromorphic solutions of q-difference equations

We investigate the growth of transcendental meromorphic solutions of some complex q-difference equations and find lower bounds for Nevanlinna lower order for meromorphic solutions of such equations. We also obtain a q-difference version of Tumura-Clunie theorem.     

On meromorphic solutions of nonlinear partial differential equations of first order

We prove a uniqueness theorem in terms of value distribution for meromorphic solutions of a class of nonlinear partial differential equations of first order, which shows that such solutions f are uniquely determined by the zeros and poles of f−cj (counting multiplicities) for two distinct complex numbers c₁ and c₂.     

On the growth of meromorphic solutions of the Schwarzian differential equations

We study the properties of meromorphic solutions of the Schwarzian differential equations in the complex plane by using some techniques from the study of the class Wp. We find some upper bounds of the order of meromorphic solutions for some types of the Schwarzian differential equations. We also show that there are no wandering domains nor Baker domains for meromorphic solutions of certain Schwarzian differential equations.     

On the complex oscillation of meromorphic solutions of second order linear differential equations in the unit disc

The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the oscillation theory of meromorphic solutions of the second order linear differential equation f^″+A(z)f=0 for the case where A is meromorphic in the unit disc D={z:|z|<1}.     

On the sequences of zeros of holomorphic solutions of linear second-order differential equations

We find necessary and sufficient conditions under which a finite or infinite sequence of complex numbers is the sequence of zeros of a holomorphic solution of the linear differential equation f″ + a ₀ f = 0 with a meromorphic coefficient a ₀ that has second-order poles. In addition, we present a criterion for all solutions of second-order linear equations to be meromorphic.     

On meromorphic solutions of <Emphasis Type="Italic">f</Emphasis><Superscript>2</Superscript> + <Emphasis Type="Italic">g</Emphasis><Superscript>2</Superscript> = 1

We show that meromorphic solutions f, g of f ² + g ² = 1 in C² must be constant, if f _z2 and g _z1 have the same zeros (counting multiplicities). We also apply the result to characterize meromorphic solutions of certain nonlinear partial differential equations.     

Monodromization and Difference Equations with Meromorphic Periodic Coefficients

We consider a system of two first-order difference equations in the complex plane. We assume that the matrix of the system is a 1-periodic meromorphic function having two simple poles per period and bounded as Im z → ±∞. We prove the existence and uniqueness of minimal meromorphic solutions, i.e., solutions having simultaneously a minimal set of poles and minimal possible growth as Im z → ±∞. We consider the monodromy matrix representing the shift-byperiod operator in the space of meromorphic solutions and corresponding to a basis built of two minimal solutions. We check that it has the same functional structure as the matrix of the initial system of equations and, in particular, is a meromorphic periodic function with two simple poles per period. This implies that the initial equation is invariant with respect to the monodromization procedure, that is, a natural renormalization procedure arising when trying to extend the Floquet–Bloch theory to difference equations defined on the real line or complex plane and having periodic coefficients. Our initial system itself arises after one renormalization of a self-adjoint difference Schrödinger equation with 1-periodic meromorphic potential bounded at ±i∞ and having two poles per period.     

Unicity of meromorphic solutions of partial differential equations

In this survey, results on the existence, growth, uniqueness, and value distribution of meromorphic (or entire) solutions of linear partial differential equations of the second order with polynomial coefficients that are similar or different from that of meromorphic solutions of linear ordinary differential equations have been obtained. We have characterized those entire solutions of a special partial differential equation that relate to Jacobian polynomials. We prove a uniqueness theorem of meromorphic functions of several complex variables sharing three values taking into account multiplicity such that one of the meromorphic functions satisfies a nonlinear partial differential equations of the first order with meromorphic coefficients, which extends the Brosch??s uniqueness theorem related to meromorphic solutions of nonlinear ordinary differential equations of the first order.     

Value distribution and shared sets of differences of meromorphic functions

We investigate value distribution and uniqueness problems of difference polynomials of meromorphic functions. In particular, we show that for a finite order transcendental meromorphic function f with λ(1/f)<ρ(f) and a non-zero complex constant c, if n?2, then fn(z)f(z+c) assumes every non-zero value a∈C infinitely often. This research also shows that there exist two sets S₁ with 9 (resp. 5) elements and S₂ with 1 element, such that for a finite order nonconstant meromorphic (resp. entire) function f and a non-zero complex constant c, Ef(z)(Sj)=Ef(z+c)(Sj)(j=1,2) imply f(z)≡f(z+c). This gives an answer to a question of Gross concerning a finite order meromorphic function f and its shift.     

On growth of meromorphic solutions of some kind of non-homogeneous linear difference equations

In this paper, we investigate the growth of meromorphic solutions of some kind of non-homogeneous linear difference equations with special meromorphic coefficients. When there are more than one coefficient having the same maximal order and the same maximal type, the estimates on the lower bound of the order of meromorphic solutions of the involved equations are obtained. Meanwhile, the above estimates are sharpened by combining the relative results of the corresponding homogeneous linear difference equations.     

Value sharing results for shifts of meromorphic functions, and sufficient conditions for periodicity

This research is a continuation of a recent paper due to the first four authors. Shared value problems related to a meromorphic function f(z) and its shift f(z+c), where c∈C, are studied. It is shown, for instance, that if f(z) is of finite order and shares two values CM and one value IM with its shift f(z+c), then f is a periodic function with period c. The assumption on the order of f can be dropped if f shares two shifts in different directions, leading to a new way of characterizing elliptic functions. The research findings also include an analogue for shifts of a well-known conjecture by Brück concerning the value sharing of an entire function f with its derivative f^′.     

On the Nevanlinna characteristic of <Emphasis Type="Italic">f</Emphasis>(<Emphasis Type="Italic">z</Emphasis>+<Emphasis Type="Italic">η</Emphasis>) and difference equations in the complex plane

We investigate the growth of the Nevanlinna characteristic of f(z+η) for a fixed η∈C in this paper. In particular, we obtain a precise asymptotic relation between T(r,f(z+η)) and T(r,f), which is only true for finite order meromorphic functions. We have also obtained the proximity function and pointwise estimates of f(z+η)/f(z) which is a discrete version of the classical logarithmic derivative estimates of f(z). We apply these results to give new growth estimates of meromorphic solutions to higher order linear difference equations. This also allows us to solve an old problem of Whittaker (Interpolatory Function Theory, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1935) concerning a first order difference equation. We show by giving a number of examples that all of our results are best possible in certain senses. Finally, we give a direct proof of a result in Ablowitz, Halburd and Herbst (Nonlinearity 13:889–905, 2000) concerning integrable difference equations. This research was supported in part by the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (HKUST6135/01P). The second author was also partially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 10501044) and the HKUST PDF Matching Fund.     

Second Order Linear Differential Polynomials and Real Meromorphic Functions

The main result determines all real meromorphic functions f of finite lower order in the plane such that f has finitely many zeros and non-real poles, while f′′ + a ₁ f′ + a ₀ f has finitely many non-real zeros, where a ₁ and a ₀ are real rational functions which satisfy a ₁(∞) = 0 and a ₀(x) ≥ 0 for all real x with |x| sufficiently large. This is accomplished by refining some earlier results on the zeros in a neighbourhood of infinity of meromorphic functions and second order linear differential polynomials. Examples are provided illustrating the results.     

Entire solutions of certain type of differential equations

By utilizing Nevanlinna's value distribution theory of meromorphic functions, we solve the transcendental entire solutions of the following type of nonlinear differential equations in the complex plane:

fn(z)+P(f)=p₁eα₁z+p₂eα₂z,     

Almost continuability of solutions of differential equations

We introduce the notion of almost continuability of the solution of the differential equation of first order dy/dx = f(x, y) to the whole real axis. We give a criterion for the almost continuability of solutions for the case in which the right-hand side of the equation is a meromorphic function of one variable y: f(x, y) = g(y). As an example, we work out the case of a rational and, in particular, an entire function g(y).     

Derivatives of meromorphic functions with multiple zeros and elliptic functions

Let f be a nonconstant meromorphic function in the plane and h be a nonconstant elliptic function. We show that if all zeros of f are multiple except finitely many and T (r, h) = o{T (r, f )} as r →∞, then f' = h has infinitely many solutions (including poles).     

Some results related to complex linear and nonlinear difference equations

In this paper, we investigate the complex oscillation problems of meromorphic solutions to some linear difference equations with meromorphic coefficients, and obtain some results about the relationships between the exponent of convergence of zeros, poles and the order of growth of meromorphic solutions to complex linear difference equations. We also study the existence of solution of certain types of nonlinear differential-difference equations, and partially answer a conjecture concerning the above problem posed by Yang and Laine (C.C. Yang and I. Laine, On analogies between nonlinear difference and differential equations, Proc. Japan Acad. Ser. A Math. Sci. 86(1) (2010), pp. 10–14).     

Exponential polynomials as solutions of certain nonlinear difference equations

Recently, C.-C. Yang and I. Laine have investigated finite order entire solutions f of nonlinear differential-difference equations of the form fn + L(z, f ) = h, where n ≥ 2 is an integer. In particular, it is known that the equation f(z)2 + q(z)f (z + 1) = p(z), where p(z), q(z) are polynomials, has no transcendental entire solutions of finite order. Assuming that Q(z) is also a polynomial and c ∈ C, equations of the form f(z)n + q(z)e Q(z) f(z + c) = p(z) do posses finite order entire solutions. A classification of these solutions in terms of growth and zero distribution will be given. In particular, it is shown that any exponential polynomial solution must reduce to a rather specific form. This reasoning relies on an earlier paper due to N. Steinmetz.     

On the meromorphic solutions of an equation of Hayman

The behavior of meromorphic solutions of differential equations has been the subject of much study. Research has concentrated on the value distribution of meromorphic solutions and their rates of growth. The purpose of the present paper is to show that a thorough search will yield a list of all meromorphic solutions of a multi-parameter ordinary differential equation introduced by Hayman. This equation does not appear to be integrable for generic choices of the parameters so we do not find all solutions—only those that are meromorphic. This is achieved by combining Wiman-Valiron theory and local series analysis. Hayman conjectured that all entire solutions of this equation are of finite order. All meromorphic solutions of this equation are shown to be either polynomials or entire functions of order one.     

Entire functions that share a small function with its derivative

In this paper, by studying the properties of meromorphic functions which have few zeros and poles, we find all the entire functions f(z) which share a small and finite order meromorphic function a(z) with its derivative, and f(n)(z)−a(z)=0 whenever f(z)−a(z)=0 (n?2). This result is a generalization of several previous results.