Step 1: proof of claim 1. By claim 1 of the anchored good-set clocks lemma, each σ(k) is a stopping time of (Gt)t∈[0,T] — as well as of the system filtration — and {t<σ(k)}∈Gt for every t∈[0,T].
Claim 0. By the solution definition, each Gt is the σ-algebra generated by the observation processes up to time t together with every event of F of probability zero. The regular event Ω0 has probability 1, so its complement Ω∖Ω0 is an event of F of probability zero and therefore belongs to G0; a σ-algebra being closed under complementation, Ω0∈G0.
We show Gk∈Gtk by induction on k. For k=0: G0=Ω0∈G0 by claim 0. Assume Gk∈Gtk for some k≤K−1. Then Gk∈Gtk+1, a filtration being nondecreasing and tk≤tk+1; and {σ(k)≥tk+1}∈Gtk+1 by claim 1 of the stopping-time toolkit applied to the filtration (Gt)t∈[0,T], of which σ(k) is a stopping time. A σ-algebra being closed under intersection, Gk+1=Gk∩{σ(k)≥tk+1}∈Gtk+1, completing the induction.
Finally, let k≤K−1 and t≥tk. Then Gk∈Gtk⊆Gt and {t<σ(k)}∈Gt, so Tk(t)=Gk∩{t<σ(k)}∈Gt.
Step 2: proof of claim 2. Fix t. By conclusion (a) of the completion-of-squares theorem, Rt is symmetric and, under (H1), symmetric positive definite, hence invertible with Rt−1 symmetric: from RtRt−1=I and the transpose identity (MM′)T=M′TMT of claim 3 of the componentwise toolkit we get (Rt−1)TRt=(Rt−1)TRtT=(RtRt−1)T=I, so, right-multiplying this identity by Rt−1, (Rt−1)T=(Rt−1)TRtRt−1=Rt−1. Hence
ΞtT=(WtRt−1WtT)T=Wt(Rt−1)TWtT=Ξt,
using the transpose identity twice and (WT)T=W; so Ξt is symmetric. For positive semidefiniteness, let x∈Rl and put y=WtTx∈Rm. By the transpose identity of claim 3 of the componentwise toolkit,
x⋅Ξtx=x⋅Wt(Rt−1y)=(WtTx)⋅(Rt−1y)=y⋅Rt−1y≥0,
the last inequality because Rt−1 is symmetric positive definite, being the inverse of a symmetric positive definite matrix by the lemma on inverses of positive definite matrices. Continuity and boundedness of the entries of Ξt follow from those of Wt and Rt−1, recorded in conclusion (a) of the completion-of-squares theorem, together with continuity of sums and products and the extreme value theorem.
Step 3: proof of claim 3. Fix t and H∈Gt. Square-integrability of the components of st and at was recorded in the preamble, and the almost-sure Gt-measurability of the components of at is the observation-adaptedness lemma. Write s^t for the tuple with components E[stγ∣Gt], so that st=s^t+εt, and set
ct=at+Rt−1WtTs^t,so thatut=ct+Rt−1WtTεt
by linearity of the matrix-vector product. Each component of ct is square-integrable and almost surely equal to a Gt-measurable square-integrable random variable: this holds for the components of at as just recalled, for those of s^t by the existence and uniqueness theorem for conditional expectation, and is preserved by the fixed linear combinations with the constant coefficients (Rt−1WtT)jγ.
Expanding the symmetric bilinear form x⋅Rty at ut=ct+Rt−1WtTεt,
For the third term, RtRt−1=I and the transpose identity give (Rt−1WtTεt)⋅Rt(Rt−1WtTεt)=(Rt−1WtTεt)⋅(WtTεt)=εt⋅WtRt−1WtTεt=εt⋅Ξtεt, the middle equality moving WtT across the pairing by the transpose identity and using the symmetry of the dot product. For the second term, RtRt−1=I gives 2ct⋅(WtTεt)=2(Wtct)⋅εt by the transpose identity. Hence, multiplying by 1H and taking expectations,
The cross term vanishes. Fix γ and put Ψ=1H(Wtct)γ, a square-integrable random variable. Each component of ct is almost surely equal to a Gt-measurable square-integrable random variable, so, choosing such representatives and forming the same fixed linear combination, there is a Gt-measurable square-integrable Ψ′ with Ψ=Ψ′ almost surely — here 1H is itself Gt-measurable and bounded, H belonging to Gt, and square-integrability of Ψ′ follows from that of Ψ by the lemma on almost sure equality and square-integrability. By the defining property of the conditional expectationE[stγ∣Gt] — that E[(stγ−E[stγ∣Gt])Ψ′]=0 for every square-integrable Gt-measurable Ψ′, as in the existence and uniqueness theorem — we get E[Ψ′εtγ]=0. Since Ψ=Ψ′ almost surely, the products Ψεtγ and Ψ′εtγ agree almost surely and are both integrable, so their expectations coincide and E[1H(Wtct)γεtγ]=0. Summing over γ, the cross term is 0.
Conclusion. The first term is nonnegative: Rt is positive semidefinite by conclusion (a) of the completion-of-squares theorem (indeed positive definite under (H1)), so ct⋅Rtct≥0 pointwise, and 1H≥0. Therefore
the last equality by linearity and the definition of the entry pairing. The right-hand side is nonnegative because Ξt is positive semidefinite by claim 2, so εt⋅Ξtεt≥0 pointwise. (The same conclusion, in the abstract setting of a single quadratic form, is claim 2 of the restricted conditional mean-square optimality lemma; the direct computation above is given because the present situation involves the two distinct matrices Rt and Ξt and the intermediate linear map Rt−1WtT.)
Independence of the choice. Let Mγ and M′γ both be conditional expectations of stγ given Gt, with errors εtγ=stγ−Mγ and εt′γ=stγ−M′γ. By the uniqueness clause of the existence and uniqueness theorem, Mγ=M′γ almost surely for each γ, hence εtγ=εt′γ almost surely, hence 1Hεtγεtδ=1Hεt′γεt′δ almost surely for all γ,δ (a finite intersection of events of probability 1 having probability 1). Both products are integrable, being bounded, so their expectations agree, and the middle quantity of claim 3 is unchanged.
Step 4: proof of claim 4. Let k≤K−1 and t∈[tk,T]. By claim 1 the event Tk(t)=Gk∩{t<σ(k)} belongs to Gt, and 1Tk(t)=1Gk1{t<σ(k)}; claim 3 applied with H=Tk(t) gives the assertion. ■