Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 February 2012
It is well known that the existence of transcendental meromorphic solutions of non-linear ordinary differential equations puts severe restrictions on the equation, the most striking example being the theorem of Malmquist [3]. The value distribution theory of R. Nevanlinna was applied to such questions by K. Yosida [8] who used it to prove Malmquist's theorem as well as important generalisations. An alternate approach was given by H. Wittich [4,5,6] and in his argument the finiteness of the order played an essential role. Wittich estimated the corresponding enumerative and proximity functions via the calculus of residues. In this note a geometric argument is proposed instead (closest packing of small discs in a bigger circle or on its rim). This method seems to generalise more readily to Yosida's extensions.