On the equivalence of Kalman filtering and least-squares estimation

The Kalman filter is derived directly from the least-squares estimator, and generalized to accommodate stochastic processes with time variable memory. To complete the link between least-squares estimation and Kalman filtering of first-order Markov processes, a recursive algorithm is presented for the computation of the off-diagonal elements of the a posteriori least-squares error covariance. As a result of the algebraic equivalence of the two estimators, both approaches can fully benefit from the advantages implied by their individual perspectives. In particular, it is shown how Kalman filter solutions can be integrated into the normal equation formalism that is used for intra- and inter-technique combination of space geodetic data.