We give a number of theoretical and practical methods related to the computation of L-functions, both in the local case (counting points on varieties over finite fields, involving in particular a detailed study of Gauss and Jacobi sums), and in the global case (for instance Dirichlet L-functions, involving in particular the study of inverse Mellin transforms); we also give a number of little-known but very useful numerical methods, usually but not always related to the computation of L-functions.