A New Approach to the Data-Driven Output-Based LQR Problem of Continuous-Time Linear Systems

Abstract: A promising method for constructing a data-driven output-feedback control law involves the construction of a model-free observer. The Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) optimal control policy can then be obtained by both policy-iteration (PI) and value-iteration (VI) algorithms. However, this method requires some unknown parameterization matrix to be of full row rank and needs to solve a sequence of high dimensional linear equations for either PI or VI algorithm. In this paper, we first show that this matrix is of full row rank under the standard controllability assumption of the plant, thus removing the main hurdle for applying this method. Then we further modify the existing method by defining an ancillary system whose LQR solution will lead to a data-driven output-feedback control law. By this new method, the rank condition of the unknown parameterization matrix is not needed any more. Moreover, we derive a new sequence of linear equations for either PI or VI algorithm whose number of unknown variables is significantly less than that of the existing PI or VI algorithm, thus not only improving the computational efficiency but also relaxing the solvability conditions of the existing PI or VI algorithm. Further, since the existing PI or VI algorithm only applies to the case where some Riccati equation admits a unique positive definite solution, we prove that both the PI algorithm and the VI algorithm in the literature can be generalized to the case where the Riccati equation only admits a unique positive semi-definite solution.