We prove a general lower bound on the size of branching programs over any semiring of zero characteristic, including the (min,+) semiring. Using it, we show that the classical dynamic programming algorithm of Bellman, Ford and Moore for the shortest s-t path problem is optimal, if only Min and Sum operations are allowed.

Notions and proofs simplified. Section 6 added.

We prove a general lower bound on the size of branching programs over any semiring of zero characteristic, including the (min,+) semiring. Using it, we show that the classical dynamic programming algorithm of Bellman, Ford and Moore for the shortest s-t path problem is optimal, if only Min and Sum operations are allowed.