Continuous-time singular linear-quadratic control: Necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of regular solutions

The purpose of this paper is to provide a full understanding of the role that the constrained generalized continuous algebraic Riccati equation plays in singular linear–quadratic (LQ) optimal control. Indeed, in spite of the vast literature on LQ problems, only recently a sufficient condition for the existence of a non-impulsive optimal control has for the first time connected this equation with the singular LQ optimal control problem. In this paper, we establish four equivalent conditions providing a complete picture that connects the singular LQ problem with the constrained generalized continuous algebraic Riccati equation and with the geometric properties of the underlying system.