Claim 1. The assignment A~(r)=−(A(r)−P(r)D(r))⊤ has continuous entries: each entry of P(r)D(r) is a finite sum of products of entries of P(r) and D(r), each entry of a transpose is an entry of the original matrix, and sums and products of continuous real-valued functions are continuous by the continuity of sums and products. Let Φ be the fundamental solution of A~ on [a,b]. By claims 1 and 2 of that theorem Φ has continuous entries, Φ(a)=Ik is the identity matrix, and every Φ(t) is invertible. By claim 3 of that theorem, applied with the inhomogeneity g there equal to 0, for each ξ∈Rk the assignment u↦Φ(u)ξ has continuous components and is the unique assignment y with continuous components satisfying y(u)=ξ+∫auA~(r)y(r)dr for every u∈[a,b].
For existence, put ξ=Φ(s)−1x and λ(u)=Φ(u)ξ. Then λ(a)=Φ(a)ξ=ξ, so the equation just quoted is precisely the integral equation of claim 1, and λ(s)=Φ(s)Φ(s)−1x=x. For uniqueness, let λ be any assignment as in claim 1. It satisfies that equation with ξ=λ(a), so λ(u)=Φ(u)λ(a) for every u∈[a,b]; evaluating at s gives Φ(s)λ(a)=x, hence λ(a)=Φ(s)−1x and λ is the assignment just constructed.
Differentiability of P and λ. Every entry of r↦A(r)P(r)+P(r)A(r)⊤−P(r)D(r)P(r)+C(r) and every component of r↦A~(r)λ(r) is a finite sum of products of continuous functions, hence continuous. Applying claim 3 of the first fundamental theorem of calculus to each entry and each component of the two integral equations, each entry of P and each component of λ is differentiable on [a,b], with entrywise derivatives
P′(r)=A(r)P(r)+P(r)A(r)⊤−P(r)D(r)P(r)+C(r),λ′(r)=−(A(r)−P(r)D(r))⊤λ(r),
both continuous in r.
Claim 2. Each component of ψ=Pλ is a finite sum of products of differentiable real functions, so by claims 2 and 3 of the derivative arithmetic lemma it is differentiable with ψ′(r)=P′(r)λ(r)+P(r)λ′(r), the products being read entrywise. Since P(r) and D(r) are symmetric and (MN)⊤=N⊤M⊤ for the matrix product,
P(r)(A(r)−P(r)D(r))⊤=P(r)A(r)⊤−P(r)D(r)P(r),
so that, suppressing the argument r,
ψ′=(AP+PA⊤−PDP+C)λ−(PA⊤−PDP)λ=APλ+Cλ=Aψ+Cλ.
This is continuous in r, so by the second fundamental theorem of calculus, applied componentwise on [a,u],
ψ(u)−ψ(a)=∫au(A(r)ψ(r)+C(r)λ(r))dr(a≤u≤b).
As ψ(a)=P(a)λ(a)=P0λ(a) and ψ has continuous components, being an entrywise sum of products of continuous functions, claim 2 follows.
Two elementary identities. For a real k×k matrix M and u,v∈Rk the index formulas for the matrix-vector product and the dot product give u⋅(Mv)=∑γ,δMγδuγvδ. Hence the expression is linear in u for fixed v and in v for fixed u; moreover (M⊤u)⋅v=∑γ,δMδγuδvγ=u⋅(Mv) after exchanging the names of the indices, and if M is symmetric then u⋅(Mv)=v⋅(Mu).
Claim 3. First, ψ(s)=P(s)λ(s)=P(s)x, so x⋅ψ(s)=x⋅(P(s)x).
Define q(r)=λ(r)⋅(P(r)λ(r)) for r∈[a,b]. Written in indices, q is a finite sum of products of differentiable real functions, so by the derivative arithmetic lemma it is differentiable with
q′(r)=λ′(r)⋅(P(r)λ(r))+λ(r)⋅(P′(r)λ(r))+λ(r)⋅(P(r)λ′(r)).
Suppressing r and using the identities just recorded together with the symmetry of P and D,
λ′⋅(Pλ)=−((A−PD)⊤λ)⋅(Pλ)=−λ⋅((A−PD)Pλ)=−λ⋅(APλ)+λ⋅(PDPλ),
next, by the same two identities,
λ⋅(Pλ′)=−λ⋅(P(A−PD)⊤λ)=−λ⋅(PA⊤λ)+λ⋅(PDPλ),
and, from the Riccati equation itself,
λ⋅(P′λ)=λ⋅(APλ)+λ⋅(PA⊤λ)−λ⋅(PDPλ)+λ⋅(Cλ).
Adding the three lines, every term cancels except
q′(r)=λ(r)⋅(C(r)λ(r))+λ(r)⋅(P(r)D(r)P(r)λ(r)),
and by the symmetry of P the second summand equals (Pλ)⋅(D(Pλ))=ψ(r)⋅(D(r)ψ(r)). Thus q′ is the function displayed in claim 3. It is continuous, being a finite sum of products of continuous functions, and nonnegative because C(r) and D(r) are positive semidefinite. By the second fundamental theorem of calculus applied on [a,s],
q(s)−q(a)=∫as(λ(r)⋅(C(r)λ(r))+ψ(r)⋅(D(r)ψ(r)))dr.
Finally q(s)=λ(s)⋅(P(s)λ(s))=x⋅(P(s)x) and q(a)=λ(a)⋅(P0λ(a)), the latter nonnegative because P0 is positive semidefinite. Rearranging the last display gives the identity of claim 3.