Existence and first properties of transcendental numbers -- Convergent laurent series and formal laurent series -- First results on the values of analytic functions at algebraic points -- Linear differental equations: The lemmas of Shidlovski -- Linear differential equations: A lower bound for the rank of the values of finitely many siegel E-functions at algebraic points -- Linear differential equations: Shidlovski's theorems on the transcendency and algebraic independence of values of siegel E-functions -- Applications of Shidlovski's main theorems to special functions -- Formal power series as solutions of algebraic differential equations.