Given a linear control system in a Hilbert space with a bounded control
operator, we establish a characterization of exponential stabilizability in
terms of an observability inequality. Such dual characterizations are well
known for exact (null) controllability. Our approach exploits classical
Fenchel duality arguments and, in turn, leads to characterizations in terms
of observability inequalities of approximate null controllability and of
-null
controllability. We comment on the relationships among those various concepts, at
the light of the observability inequalities that characterize them.