English

Slow-growing counterexamples to the strong Eremenko conjecture

Dynamical Systems 2025-12-16 v3 Complex Variables

Abstract

Let f ⁣:CCf\colon\mathbb{C}\to\mathbb{C} be a transcendental entire function. In 1989, Eremenko asked the following question concerning the set I(f)I(f) of points that tend to infinity under iteration: can every point of I(f)I(f) be joined to \infty by a curve in I(f)I(f)? This is known as the \emph{strong Eremenko conjecture} and was disproved in 2011 by Rottenfu{\ss}er, R\"uckert, Rempe and Schleicher by the construction of a counterexample. The function has relatively small infinite order: it can be chosen such that loglogf(z)=(logz)1+o(1)\log \log \,\lvert f(z)\rvert = (\log \lvert z\rvert)^{1+o(1)} as f(z)f(z)\to \infty. Moreover, ff belongs to the \emph{Eremenko--Lyubich class B\mathcal{B}}. When a function belongs to this class, we can study the function via a \textit{logarithmic change of coordinates}. In this frame of coordinates, we are able to study the function via the \textit{tracts} that arise which are Jordan domains with unbounded real part. The key feature of the tracts in the counterexample of Rottenfu{\ss }er et al is that of large \textit{wiggling} sections. In this article we adapt the tracts used by Benitez and Rempe in order to deduce the existence of counterexample functions fBf \in \mathcal{B} satisfying certain growth properties. We consider how slowly such an ff may grow. Suppose that Θ ⁣:[t0,)[0,)\Theta\colon [t_0,\infty)\to [0,\infty) is a function such that Θ(t)0\Theta(t) \to 0 and (logt)βΘ(logt)Θ(t) as t (\log t)^{\beta \Theta(\log t)}\Theta(t) \to \infty \quad\text{ as $t\to \infty$} for some 0<β<10<\beta<1, along with a certain regularity assumption. Then there exists a counterexample fBf\in\mathcal{B} as above such that loglogf(z)=O((logz)1+Θ(logz))as f(z). \log \log \lvert f(z) \rvert = O\bigl( (\log \lvert z \rvert)^{1 + \Theta(\log \lvert z \rvert)}\bigr) \quad\text{as $f(z) \to\infty$}. The hypotheses are satisfied, in particular, for Θ(t)=1/(loglogt)α\Theta(t) = 1/(\log \log t)^{\alpha}, for any α>0\alpha>0.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2405.08811,
  title  = {Slow-growing counterexamples to the strong Eremenko conjecture},
  author = {Andrew P. Brown},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2405.08811},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

51 pages, 15 figures

R2 v1 2026-06-28T16:27:20.532Z