The Kalman filter: A robust estimator for some classes of linear quadratic problems

Abstract

In this paper, theoretical justification is established for the common practice of applying the Kalman filter estimator to three classes of linear quadratic problems where the model statistics are not completely known, and hence specification of the filter gains is not optimum. The Kalman filter is shown to be a minimax estimator for one class of problems and to satisfy a saddlepoint condition in the other two classes of problems. Equations for the worst case covariance matrices are given which allow the specifications of the minimax Kalman filter gains and the worst case distributions for the respective classes of problems. Both time-varying and time-invariant systems are treated.