This paper studies the classic linear quadratic regulation (LQR) problem for both continuous-time and discrete-time systems with multiple input delays. For discrete-time systems, the LQR problem for systems with single input delay has been studied in existing literature, whereas a solution to the multiple input delay case is not known to our knowledge. For continuous-time systems with multiple input delays, the LQR problem has been tackled via an infinite dimensional system theory approach and a frequency/time domain approach. The objective of the present paper is to give an explicit solution to the LQR problem via a simple and intuitive approach. The main contributions of the paper include a fundamental result of duality between the LQR problem for systems with multiple input delays and a smoothing problem for an associated backward stochastic system. The duality allows us to obtain a solution to the LQR problem via standard projection in linear space. The LQR controller is simply constructed by the solution of one backward Riccati difference (for the discrete-time case) or differential (for the continuous-time case) equation of the same order as the plant (ignoring the delays). (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.