The resurgence properties of the incomplete gamma function I

In this paper we derive new representations for the incomplete gamma function, exploiting the reformulation of the method of steepest descents by C. J. Howls (Howls, Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 439 (1992) 373--396). Using these representations, we obtain a number of properties of the asymptotic expansions of the incomplete gamma function with large arguments, including explicit and realistic error bounds, asymptotics for the late coefficients, exponentially improved asymptotic expansions, and the smooth transition of the Stokes discontinuities.