1. A lattice-based dynamic programming (DP) classification system that compares an unknown vector with a prescribed set of prototype vectors comprising: a) a lattice controller for system control, for system configuration, for selecting a prescribed prototype vector for comparison with the unknown vector for storing of processed results of a DP lattice network, for determining an optimal lattice path, and for determining an optimal cumulative distance value corresponding to the optimal lattice path; b) a DP lattice network controlled by the lattice controller for producing processed results by use of processing means operating on the prescribed prototype vector and the unknown vector, the processing means comprising means for computing a cumulative distance between the unknown vector and a prototype vector, means for providing optimal path information to the lattice controller, a first set of input terminals for accepting the unknown vector, a second set of input terminals for accepting a prototype vector, a set of processed data output terminals for outputting the processed results, and a set of control terminals connected to the lattice controller for transmitting controlled lattice path information; c) a vector generator controlled by the lattice controller comprising means for generating at the vector generator output terminals a prototype vector selected from the prescribed set of prototype vectors, the output terminals connected to the second set of the DP lattice network input terminals; and d) a vector quantizer (VQ) comprising a VQ code book of prescribed prototype vectors, with the VQ data input connected to the lattice controller for classifying the unknown vector based on the optimal lattice path by outputting a VQ code corresponding to a prescribed prototype vector that most closely corresponds to the unknown vector.