We consider the control of discrete-time linear dynamical systems using sparse inputs where we limit the number of active actuators at every time step. We develop an algorithm for determining a sparse actuator schedule that ensures the existence of a sparse control input sequence, following the schedule, that takes the system from any given initial state to any desired final state. Since such an actuator schedule is not unique, we look for a schedule that minimizes the energy of sparse inputs. For this, we optimize the trace of the inverse of the resulting controllability Gramian, which is an approximate measure of the average energy of the inputs. We present a greedy algorithm along with its theoretical guarantees. Finally, we empirically show that our greedy algorithm ensures the controllability of the linear system with a small number of active actuators per time step without a significant average energy expenditure compared to the fully actuated system.

The stabilizability of a linear dynamical system (LDS) refers to the existence of control inputs that drive the system state to zero. In this article, we analyze both the theoretical and algorithmic aspects of the stabilizability of an LDS using sparse control inputs with potentially time-varying supports. We show that an LDS is stabilizable using sparse control inputs if and only if it is stabilizable (using unconstrained inputs). For a stabilizable LDS, we present an algorithm to determine the sparse control inputs that steer the system state to zero. We show that all stabilizable LDSs are also sparse mean square stabilizable when the process noise has zero mean and bounded second moment. For such an LDS, we devise a method to sequentially estimate the sparse control inputs to stabilize the LDS in the mean square sense. We prove that a detectable and stabilizable LDS is sparse stabilizable through output feedback and develop an algorithm for finding the corresponding sparse control inputs. Finally, we analyze the stabilizability of an LDS using sparse control inputs with common support. Our results shed light on the conditions under which a given LDS is stabilizable using sparse control inputs and the design of the corresponding control inputs.