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If a transcendental meromorphic function had only finitely many simple preimages over each of five distinct finite values, their simple counting functions would be $O(\log r)$. The displayed multiplicity inequality and the Nevanlinna first main theorem would bound the truncated sum by $5T_f/2+O(\log r)$. The Nevanlinna second main theorem requires at least $3T_f$ up to its $o(T_f)$ error, a contradiction. Thus at least one value has infinitely many simple preimages; four other values can remain totally ramified.

The growth order of a meromorphic function is the upper power exponent of its Nevanlinna characteristic, with constants assigned order zero. It is different from the local signed order at a zero or pole. A Nevanlinna integrated counting function has an analogous growth order. The Nevanlinna first main theorem bounds every counting order by the function order.

For a nonconstant meromorphic function, its deficiency at a point of the Riemann sphere is the displayed asymptotic proportion missing from the full Nevanlinna integrated counting function. The Nevanlinna first main theorem bounds $N(r;a)$ by $T_f(r)+O(1)$ and identifies deficiency with the lower limiting normalized proximity. An omitted value has deficiency one.

Nevanlinna theory studies the growth and value distribution of meromorphic functions through their integrated pole counts and logarithmic proximity to target values. The Nevanlinna characteristic combines both quantities, while the Nevanlinna first main theorem compares it with the corresponding counts and proximity for any fixed target.

Use the Nevanlinna proximity function $m(r,f)=(2\pi {)}^{-1}\int {\log }^{+}|f(r{e}^{i\theta })|d\theta$ and the Nevanlinna integrated counting function $N(r,f)$ for poles, counting multiplicity. If the pole order at zero is ${\nu }_0$, thenBoundedness of the Nevanlinna characteristic refers to $r\uparrow 1$, equivalently to a uniform bound on $r_0\le r<1$ for any fixed $r_0>0$. This avoids the harmless origin normalization when ${\nu }_0>0$.

The Nevanlinna first main theorem states, for every fixed finite value $a$ and every nonconstant meromorphic function on the disk,For $a=\infty$, this is the definition of $T$. The error is bounded independently of $r$. Translation changes $T$ by $O(1)$, while Jensen's formula gives $T(r,h)-T(r,1/h)=\log |c|$ when $h(z)=c{z}^{\nu }(1+O(z))$ near zero; these observations explain the first theorem.

The Nevanlinna second main theorem in the unit disc states that for $q\ge 3$ distinct values $a_j$ on the Riemann sphere,as $r\uparrow 1$ outside an exceptional set $E$ satisfying ${\int }_{E}dr/(1-r)<\infty$. The truncated Nevanlinna counting function $\overline{N}$ counts each distinct preimage once. The boundary-distance error cannot simply be suppressed: on the disk it need not be $o(T)$. The disk error and exceptional-set estimates follow from the logarithmic-derivative estimates in mathweb.tifr.res.in/Documents/Publications/Lectures/tifr17.pdf .

Suppose first that $T(r,f)$ is bounded. Since $m(r,f)\ge 0$, its poles satisfy the Blaschke condition, counting their orders: let $r\uparrow 1$ in their integrated count and use $1-|b|\le -\log |b|$. Let $B$ be their Blaschke product, including the origin factor if necessary. Then $g=Bf$ extends to a holomorphic function on the whole disk, and $|B|\le 1$ givesHere the last bound follows from bounded $T$ and the uniform lower bound $N(r,f)\ge {\nu }_0\log r_0$ on $r\ge r_0$.

The nonnegative subharmonic function ${\log }^{+}|g|$ has a finite harmonic majorant. Indeed its Poisson integrals $H_R$ on expanding disks dominate it by the maximum principle for subharmonic functions, increase with $R$, and have $H_R(0)\le C$. The Harnack inequality for harmonic functions bounds them on every compact subdisk, so their increasing limit is a finite harmonic function $H\ge {\log }^{+}|g|$. Since the disk is simply connected, $H$ has a harmonic conjugate, giving a holomorphic function $A$ with $\mathrm{Re}A=H$. ConsequentlyThis proves the constructive half of the quotient characterization of bounded characteristic.

Conversely, if $f=u/v$ with $u,v$ bounded holomorphic functions and $v\not\equiv 0$, each pole of $f$ is a zero of $v$ of at least the same order. The elementary inequality ${\log }^{+}|u/v|\le {\log }^{+}|u|+{\log }^{+}|1/v|$ and the Nevanlinna first main theorem giveAny cancellation at an origin zero contributes only a bounded multiple of $\log r$ on $r\ge r_0$, which is included in this $O(1)$. The zero function is immediate; constant nonzero $v$ is handled directly. Thus bounded characteristic is exactly a quotient of two bounded analytic functions.

An unbounded example with bounded characteristic isIt is a ratio of the bounded holomorphic functions $1$ and $1-z$. More explicitly, Jensen's formula gives the mean of $\log |1-r{e}^{i\theta }|$ as zero, so $m(r,1/(1-z))=m(r,1-z)\le \log 2$, although $g(r)\to \infty$.

Finally, set $Y=(1+|g{|}^2{)}^{p/2}\ge 1$. Pointwise ${\log }^{+}|g|\le p^{-1}\log Y$. Jensen's inequality for the concave logarithm givesThere is no pole term because $g$ is holomorphic. Hence the stated integral bound implies bounded characteristic. This argument in fact works for every $p>0$.

For a nonconstant meromorphic map, write $T_f(R)=m(R,f)+N(R;\infty )$ in the usual normalization, where $m=(2\pi {)}^{-1}\int {\log }^{+}|f(R{e}^{i\theta })|d\theta$. Let $N(R;a)$ count $a$-points with their local degrees, and let $\overline{N}(R;a)$ count each distinct point once, using the same integrated logarithmic weights. At infinity the local degree is the pole order. The Nevanlinna deficiency and Nevanlinna ramification index areThe latter is an asymptotic excess-multiplicity index, not the integer local ramification degree. The Nevanlinna first main theorem gives $N(R;a)\le T_f(R)+O(1)$ and identifies deficiency with the lower limiting normalized proximity. The target $a$ ranges over the Riemann sphere, not just the real line.

The exponential is entire and has no poles. ConsequentlyThus $c=1/\pi$ in this normalization.

To obtain the rational-composition growth, represent the nonconstant degree-$d$ sphere map by relatively prime homogeneous polynomials $(P,Q)$ of degree $d$. Their joint norm on the unit sphere in ${\mathbb{C}}^2$ has a positive minimum and finite maximum: simultaneous vanishing would contradict relative primeness on the projective line. Homogeneity therefore gives constants $0<A\le B<\infty$ withApply this to the entire nonvanishing lift $(e^z,1)$. The logarithmic joint norm differs from $d\log \Vert (e^z,1)\Vert$ by a bounded function. Its circular mean minus the value at zero is the spherical characteristic. It differs from the ordinary characteristic by $O(1)$: Jensen's formula applied to the entire denominator counts its zeros, whilecontrols the proximity replacement. If the denominator vanishes at zero, factor its zero and use its leading coefficient in Jensen's formula; the discrepancy is still a basepoint-dependent constant. This proves the rational composition law for the Nevanlinna characteristic here and givesIf $U$ is constant, $d=0$ and its characteristic is bounded instead.

For a simultaneous nonzero deficiency and ramification example choosea degree-three polynomial composed with the exponential. Its characteristic is $3R/\pi +O(1)$. Its only zeros are $2\pi in$, $n\in \mathbb{Z}$, all of multiplicity two. The number of distinct such points in a large disc is $R/\pi +O(1)$, so integration of their count givesThe origin contribution is handled by its usual logarithmic counting term. ThereforeThis is simultaneous deficiency and ramification for an exponential polynomial: the missing exponential value contributes a deficit, while the attained value is attained with double multiplicity.

Write ${\log }^{+}x=\max (0,\log x)$. The Nevanlinna proximity function and Nevanlinna integrated counting function areThe pole sum counts multiplicity; it is finite for each $r$ because $f(0)$ is finite and nonzero and poles of a meromorphic function are isolated. Equivalently $N(r,f)={\int }_0^{r}n(t,f)dt/t$, where $n(t,f)$ counts poles in the disc. The Nevanlinna characteristic isFor a general nonzero meromorphic function $g$ with signed order $\nu$ at zero, use $g(z)=c{z}^{\nu }(1+O(z))$, $c\ne 0$. The general counting convention includes a pole at zero:where $n(0,g)=\max (0,-\nu )$. This convention will also cover $g=f-a$ when the target $a=f(0)$.

Here is a direct proof of the exact reciprocal identity underlying the Nevanlinna first main theorem. Choose a circle with no zero or pole of $g$ on it, and a slightly larger disc with the same interior zeros and poles. Divide $g$ by $z^{\nu }$ and its nonzero zero factors and multiply by its nonzero pole factors, obtaining a holomorphic, nowhere-zero function $H$ on that disc. For any factor $z-a$ with $|a|<r$,Indeed, factor out $r{e}^{i\theta }$; the remaining logarithm has real part equal to that of $-{\sum }_{k\ge 1}(a/r{)}^k{e}^{-ik\theta }/k$, whose angular mean is zero. Also, $\log |H|$ is harmonic, so the mean value property for harmonic functions equates its circle mean to $\log |H(0)|$. Putting back the zero and pole factors provesThe identity ${\log }^{+}x-{\log }^{+}(1/x)=\log x$ now yieldsZeros or poles on the circle cause only integrable logarithmic singularities; the same identities hold at those radii by limits. A boundary zero or pole contributes $\log (r/r)=0$ to its counting term.

For a finite target $a$, set $g=f-a$. Its finite poles and their orders equal those of $f$. The elementary estimatesgive $|T(r,f-a)-T(r,f)|\le \log (1+|a|)$. Combining this with the reciprocal identity proves the first main theorem:The error is bounded independently of $r$, with an explicit bound $\log (1+|a|)+|\log |c_a||$, where $c_a$ is the first nonzero local coefficient of $f-a$ at zero. The count on the right records the occurrences of the value $a$ with multiplicity. The target infinity is the defining identity $T=m+N$. If $f$ is a constant equal to $a$, the reciprocal expression is undefined; the value-distribution assertion assumes $f-a\not\equiv 0$, as it automatically does for nonconstant $f$. The exact reciprocal identity remains valid for every nonzero constant $f$.

Taking $g=f$, whose signed order is zero and whose local coefficient is $f(0)$, rearranges that exact identity into Jensen's formula:Thus the zero and pole terms, their signs and the initial-value constant follow from the same proved identity, rather than from a theorem citation without proof.

Finally let $f$ be a nonzero bounded holomorphic function on the unit disc, with $|f|\le M$. If its order at zero is $m$, write $f(z)=z^{m}h(z)$, $h(0)\ne 0$. The factorization argument above works on every compact subdisc and gives, for its nonzero zeros,For $1/2\le r<1$ this is a uniform finite upper bound. As $r\uparrow 1$, monotone convergence givesSince $1-u\le -\log u$ for $0<u<1$, and there are only $m$ zeros at zero, we obtainThis is precisely the Blaschke condition, so the zeros, counted with multiplicity, form a Blaschke sequence.

A meromorphic function on the unit disc has bounded characteristic if and only if it has this representation. Its pole Blaschke product $B$ makes $g=Bf$ analytic with bounded positive logarithmic means. The least harmonic majorant by expanding disk lifts gives $H\ge {\log }^{+}|g|$. A harmonic conjugate gives an analytic $A$ with $\mathrm{Re}A=H$, so $u=g{e}^{-A}$ and $v=B{e}^{-A}$ are bounded. Conversely the Nevanlinna first main theorem bounds the characteristic of $u/v$ by that of $u$ and $1/v$, hence by a constant.