Topology of the Stokes phenomenon

Several intrinsic topological ways to encode connections on vector bundles on smooth complex algebraic curves will be described. In particular the notion of {\em Stokes decompositions} will be formalised, as a convenient intermediate category between the Stokes filtrations and the Stokes local systems/wild monodromy representations. The main result establishes a new simple characterisation of the Stokes decompositions.