Block-balancing of linear systems (Q1097853)

Consider a linear time-invariant system of the form \(\dot x(t)=Ax(t)+Bu(t)\), \(y(t)=Cx(t)\) where A,B and C are, respectively, \(n\times n\), \(n\times r\) and \(m\times n\). In this paper, the author introduces the concept of block-balanced realization. Assume that the system is controllable, observable and stable. If the controllability and observability grammians are equal and can be given by \[ \left[ \begin{matrix} S_{11}\\ S_{12}\end{matrix} \quad \begin{matrix} S_{12}\\ S_{22}\end{matrix} \right] \] where \(S_{11}\) is \(k\times k\) and \(S_{12}=0\), then the realization (A,B,C) is called block-balanced. The class of block-balanced realizations is larger than \textit{B. C. Moore}'s class of balanced realizations [IEEE Trans. Autom. Control AC-26, 17-32 (1981; Zbl 0464.93022)]. A method is presented to obtain a block-balanced realization. A block- balanced realization (A,B,C) has the following properties: (i) \(\lambda_{\max}(A+A')\leq 0\), (ii) \(\| e^{At}\| <1\) for all \(t>0\), (iii) \(\| x(t)\| <\| x(\tau)\|\) for all \(t>\tau\). Some analogous properties for the subsystem of (A,B,C) are also given. The relationship between asymptotic stability, controllability and observability for the subsystem of (A,B,C) is considered.