Wiki
Wiki

Research notes on every problem, and a library of the papers behind them. Built from the open erdos repository.

Updated


Claim. Let f(z)=∑k≥1akznkf(z)=\sum_{k\ge1}a_kz^{n_k} be an entire function with ak≠0a_k\ne0 for every kk and ∑k1/nk<∞\sum_k1/n_k<\infty (Fejér gaps). Takafumi Murai, The deficiency of entire functions with Fejér gaps, Ann. Inst. Fourier 33 (1983), no. 3, 39--58, doi:10.5802/aif.930, proves that ff has no finite deficient value in the sense of Nevanlinna theory: δ(a,f)=0\delta(a,f)=0 for every a∈Ca\in\mathbb C. The theorem is recorded on its library card, which also records the paper's engine, a proximity-function estimate m(r,f)>(1−ϵ)log⁡M(r,f)m(r,f)>(1-\epsilon)\log M(r,f) outside a set of finite logarithmic measure. The consequence for the question is immediate: ff is transcendental, so T(r,f)/log⁡r→∞T(r,f)/\log r\to\infty, while a value aa taken only finitely often has N(r,a)=O(log⁡r)N(r,a)=O(\log r) and hence δ(a,f)=1\delta(a,f)=1; so every value is taken infinitely often. The paper presents its theorem as a strengthening of this classical Fejér--Biernacki theorem, the result of Biernacki 1927. Section 5 of the paper shows that the gap hypothesis cannot be weakened to Fabry gaps, k/nk→0k/n_k\to0: it constructs an entire function with Fabry gaps whose deficiency at 00 equals 11. That example does not bear on the question, since deficiency 11 at 00 does not show that 00 is taken finitely often. The paper was cited on the site's discussion thread on 2026-03-26 as related to the problem.

Covers. Every instance of Problem 517 with ∑k1/nk<∞\sum_k1/n_k<\infty, of any order; such exponents satisfy nk/k→∞n_k/k\to\infty, as the Biernacki page shows. Functions with nk/k→∞n_k/k\to\infty and ∑1/nk=∞\sum1/n_k=\infty are not covered; the finite-order ones are settled by Pólya 1929, and the infinite-order ones remain open.

Depends on. Nothing in this wiki: the theorem is the paper's own, and the deduction of infinitely many aa-points from zero deficiency is the elementary Nevanlinna-theory step above.

Acceptance. Refereed: a journal publication, Annales de l'Institut Fourier 33 (1983), no. 3, the DOI linked above; the publisher's record gives only the year, so the page is dated to its first day. Reviewed is not listed: the site labels the problem OPEN, its commentary does not mention the paper, and a thread comment is not acceptance. Formalized is not listed: no Lean statement or proof of the theorem is recorded.