We consider the basic problems, notions and facts in the theory of entire functions of several variables, i. e. functions J(z) holomorphic in the entire n space 1 the zero set of an entire function is not discrete and therefore one has no analogue of a tool such as the canonical Weierstrass product, which is fundamental in the case n = 1. Second, for n> 1 there exist several different natural ways of exhausting the space

Contributions by: L.I. Ronkin