For a fixed $K\,\gg \,1$ and $n\,\in \,\mathbb{N}$, $n\,\gg \,1$ we study metric spaces which admit embeddings with distortion $\le \,K$ into each $n$-dimensional Banach space. Classical examples include spaces embeddable into log $n$-dimensional Euclidean spaces, and equilateral spaces.

We prove that good embeddability properties are preserved under the operation of metric composition of metric spaces. In particular, we prove that $n$-point ultrametrics can be embedded with uniformly bounded distortions into arbitrary Banach spaces of dimension $\log \,n$.

The main result of the paper is a new example of a family of finite metric spaces which are not metric compositions of classical examples and which do embed with uniformly bounded distortion into any Banach space of dimension $n$. This partially answers a question of G. Schechtman.

Hughes has defined a class of groups that we call finite similarity structure (FSS) groups. Each FSS group acts on a compact ultrametric space by local similarities. The best-known example is Thompson’s group V. Guided by previous work on Thompson’s group, we show that many FSS groups are of type F∞. This generalizes work of Ken Brown from the 1980s.

Let $K$ be an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero, complete for an ultrametric absolute value. We show that the $p$-adic main Nevanlinna Theorem holds for meromorphic functions inside an ‘open’ disc in $K$. Let $P_{n,c}$ be the Frank–Reinders’s polynomial

$$ (n-1)(n-2)X^n-2n(n-2)X^{n-1}+ n(n-1)X^{n-2}-c\qq (c\neq0,\ c\neq1,\ c\neq2) $$

and let $S_{n,c}$ be the set of its $n$ distinct zeros. For every $n\geq 7$, we show that $S_{n,c}$ is an $n$-points unique range set (counting multiplicities) for unbounded analytic functions inside an ‘open disc’, and for every $n\geq10$, we show that $S_{n,c}$ is an $n$-points unique range set ignoring multiplicities for the same set of functions. Similar results are obtained for meromorphic functions whose characteristic function is unbounded: we obtain unique range sets ignoring multiplicities of $17$ points. A better result is obtained for an analytic or a meromorphic function $f$ when its derivative is ‘small’ comparatively to $f$. In particular, for every $n\geq5$ we show that $S_{n,c}$ is an $n$-points unique range set ignoring multiplicities for unbounded analytic functions with small derivative. Actually, in each case, results also apply to pairs of analytic functions when just one of them is supposed unbounded. The method we use is based upon the $p$-adic Nevanlinna Theory, and Frank–Reinders’s and Fujimoto’s methods used for meromorphic functions in $\mathbb{C}$. Among other results, we show that the set of functions having a bounded characteristic function is just the field of fractions of the ring of bounded analytic functions in the disc.

AMS 2000 Mathematics subject classification: Primary 12H25. Secondary 12J25; 46S10