Value sharing and Stirling numbers
Let $f$ be an entire function and $L(f)$ a linear differential polynomial in $f$ with constant coefficients. Suppose that $f$, $f'$, and $L(f)$ share a meromorphic function $α(z)$ that is a small function with respect to $f$. A characterization of the possibilities that may arise was recently obtained by Lahiri. However, one case leaves open many possibilities. We show that this case has more structure than might have been expected, and that a more detailed study of this case involves, among other things, Stirling numbers of the first and second kinds. We prove that the function $α$ must satisfy a linear homogeneous differential equation with specific coefficients involving only three free parameters, and then $f$ can be obtained from each solution. Examples suggest that only rarely do single-valued solutions $α(z)$ exist, and even then they are not always small functions for $f$.