Worst-case analysis of the least-squares method and related identification methods

We consider worst-case analysis of system identification under less restrictive assumptions on the noise than the l_∞ bounded error condition. It is shown that the least-squares method has a robust convergence property in l₂ identification, but lacks a corresponding property in l₁ identification (as well as in all other non-Hilbert space settings). The latter result is in stark contrast with typical results in asymptotic stochastic analysis of the least-squares method. Furthermore, it is shown that the Khintchine inequality is useful in the analysis of least l^p identification methods.