Linear matrix inequality

In convex optimization, a linear matrix inequality (LMI) is an expression of the form

where

  • is a real vector,
  • are symmetric matrices ,
  • is a generalized inequality meaning is a positive semidefinite matrix belonging to the positive semidefinite cone in the subspace of symmetric matrices .

This linear matrix inequality specifies a convex constraint on .

Applications

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There are efficient numerical methods to determine whether an LMI is feasible (e.g., whether there exists a vector y such that LMI(y) ≥ 0), or to solve a convex optimization problem with LMI constraints. Many optimization problems in control theory, system identification and signal processing can be formulated using LMIs. Also LMIs find application in Polynomial Sum-Of-Squares. The prototypical primal and dual semidefinite program is a minimization of a real linear function respectively subject to the primal and dual convex cones governing this LMI.

Solving LMIs

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A major breakthrough in convex optimization was the introduction of interior-point methods. These methods were developed in a series of papers and became of true interest in the context of LMI problems in the work of Yurii Nesterov and Arkadi Nemirovski.

See also

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References

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  • Y. Nesterov and A. Nemirovsky, Interior Point Polynomial Methods in Convex Programming. SIAM, 1994.
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