On pole assignment in linear systems with incomplete state feedback

The following system is considered: \dot{x}= Ax + Bu y = Cx where x is an n vector describing the state of the system, u is an m vector of inputs to the system, and y is an l vector ( l \leq n ) of output variables. It is shown that if rank C = l , and if (A,B) are controllable, then a linear feedback of the output variables u = K*y, where K*is a constant matrix, can always be found, so that l eigenvalues of the closed-loop system matrix A + BK*C are arbitrarily close (but not necessarily equal) to l preassigned values. (The preassigned values must be chosen so that any complex numbers appearing do so in complex conjugate pairs.) This generalizes an earlier result of Wonham [1]. An algorithm is described which enables K*to be simply found, and examples of the algorithm applied to some simple systems are included.