Optimal output feedback without trace

For a linear system (C,A,B) with integral quadratic cost, an optimal control problem is presented which has as its solution an output feedback control. The output feedback chosen ensures that the closed-loop cost is not worse than the open-loop cost for any initial condition, which is not guaranteed by the standard optimization method for finding output feedback (optimization with respect to the feedback matrix of an average over initial conditions of the closed-loop cost). The most severe restriction involved is thatkerC]? RB]. Finite- and infinite-time cases are discussed.