Shared values, Picard values and normality

Abstract

It is known that a family of meromorphic functions is normal if each function in the family shares a 3-element set with its derivative. In this paper we consider value distribution and normality problems with regard to 2-element shared sets. First we construct an example, by use of the Weierstrass doubly periodic functions, to show that a 3-element shared set can not be reduced to a 2-element shared set in general. We obtain a new criterion of normal families and new Picard-type theorems. The proofs make use of some results in complex dynamics. More examples are constructed to show that our assumptions are necessary.