Guaranteed H_∞ robustness bounds for Wiener filtering and prediction

The paper deals with special classes of H_∞ estimation problems, where the signal to be estimated coincides with the uncorrupted measured output. Explicit bounds on the difference between nominal and actual H_∞ performance are obtained by means of elementary algebraic manipulations. These bounds are new in continuous-time filtering and discrete-time one-step ahead prediction. As for discrete-time filtering, the paper provides new proofs that are alternative to existing derivations based on the Krein spaces formalism. In particular, some remarkable H_∞ robustness properties of Kalman filters and predictors are highlighted. The usefulness of these results for improving the estimator design under a mixed H₂/H_∞ viewpoint is also discussed. The dualization of the analysis allows one to evaluate guaranteed H_∞ robustness bounds for state-feedback regulators of systems affected by actuator disturbances.