Exponential polynomial ($F(z)={\sum }_j{P}_j(z)e^{{\lambda }_{j}z}$)

An exponential polynomial is a finite sum of polynomial multiples of exponentials. For distinct exponents, its terms are linearly independent over the polynomial ring: to isolate one term, apply the product of operators $(D-{\lambda }_j{)}^{\mathrm{deg}{P}_j+1}$ for all the other terms. On the remaining polynomial each operator becomes $D+{\lambda }_0-{\lambda }_j$, which is injective because its nonzero constant preserves the leading coefficient. A nonzero exponential polynomial is an entire function of exponential type. Its maximum-modulus logarithm is $O(R+\log R)$, and Jensen's formula gives at most $O(R)$ zeros, counted with multiplicity, in a disk of radius $R$.