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For $T>0$ and the constant matrices over the real numbers in the Kalman rank criterion, the finite-time Controllability Gramian accumulates the influence of all command times. Its column space equals that of the controllability matrix, and $W_T$ is a symmetric positive-definite matrix exactly when the controllability matrix has rank of a matrix $n$. If so, put $\delta =x_1-e^{AT}{x}_0$. Among square-integrable functions steering $x_0$ to $x_1$ at $T$, the commandminimizes ${\int }_0^T\Vert u(t){\Vert }^{2}dt$, with value ${\delta }^T{W}_T^{-1}\delta$. Here $T$ in a matrix superscript denotes transpose. This cost is a squared input norm, not necessarily physical energy, and the optimizing command need not satisfy an amplitude bound. ^[ref]

For the double integrator, $e^{As}B=(s,1{)}^T$, so direct integration givesFor a rest-to-rest distance $d$, $u_{\ast }(t)=6d/T^2-12dt/T^3$ and the minimum squared input norm is $12d^2/T^3$. Compare the two constant commands in the double integrator example, whose cost is $16d^2/T^3$: both attain the target, but the smooth command costs less. At $T=2$, $d=1$, however, $u_{\ast }$ peaks at $3/2$, so it violates $|u|\le 1$ while the two constant commands remain admissible. Controllability, optimal control, and constrained reachability in control theory answer different questions.

For the linear time-invariant system $\dot{x}=Ax+Bu$, with $A\in {\mathbb{R}}^{n\times n}$ and $B\in {\mathbb{R}}^{n\times m}$, the controllability matrix has $n$ rows and $nm$ columns. The columns of $B$ are directions influenced directly by the control inputs; $AB,A^{2}B,\dots$ account for how the dynamics carry their influence into further directions. The column space of the controllability matrix is the zero-state reachable set for any $T>0$ when inputs are unrestricted. ^[ref]

For a finite-dimensional continuous-time linear time-invariant system $\dot{x}=Ax+Bu$ on ${\mathbb{R}}^n$, with constant matrices $A,B$ over the real numbers, no state constraints, and every piecewise continuous function $u:[0,T]\to {\mathbb{R}}^m$ allowed as a control input without an amplitude bound, controllability in any fixed $T>0$ is equivalent to the controllability matrix having rank of a matrix $n$. The same equivalence holds with all square-integrable functions as inputs. A stronger useful statement iswhere $e^{AT}$ is a matrix exponential and $\mathrm{im}\mathcal{C}$ is the column space. Thus a rank of a matrix $r<n$ leaves only an $r$-dimensional affine subspace reachable at that time. ^[ref]

The Kalman rank criterion allows arbitrarily large commands as $T$ shrinks. It does not assert controllability with bounded control inputs, nor test a general nonlinear dynamical system just by counting its inputs. For the double integrator, $B=(0,1{)}^T$ and $AB=(1,0{)}^T$ give two independent directions, despite there being only one control input.

Reachability in control theory asks about a particular initial state $x_0$ and target $x_1$: does some admissible control input make $x(T)=x_1$ at the declared time $T$, or at some allowed duration? Controllability requires this for every pair in the declared state space. This is a property of state evolution, distinct from graph reachability.

For a linear time-invariant system, solving the ordinary differential equation by a matrix exponential givesThe first term is the unforced endpoint. Reachability in control theory asks whether the control input can supply exactly the displacement $x_1-e^{AT}{x}_0$. The timing matters because the same command is carried by different amounts of subsequent dynamics. ^[ref]

Here is a contrasting mathematical example with one shared control input:The controllability matrix has rank of a matrix one. Since $\frac{d}{dt}(z_1-z_2)=0$, the difference is invariant under every allowed control input. From $(0,0)$ the reachable set is the diagonal $z_1=z_2$ when input amplitudes are unrestricted: $(1,1)$ is reachable at $T=2$ using $u=1/2$, while $(1,0)$ is impossible at every duration. Having a control input appear in both state equations did not give independent control of both states. This reachable set is pictured alongside the bounded double integrator below.