Small bias requires large formulas

A small-biased function is a randomized function whose distribution of truth-tables is small-biased. We demonstrate that known explicit lower bounds on the size of (1) general Boolean formulas, (2) Boolean formulas of fan-in two, (3) de Morgan formulas, as well as (4) correlation lower bounds against small de Morgan formulas apply to small-biased functions. As a consequence, any strongly explicit small-biased generator is subject to the best known explicit formula lower bounds in all these models. On the other hand, we give a construction of a small-biased function that is tight with respect to lower bounds (1) and (2) for the relevant range of parameters. We interpret this construction as a natural-type barrier against substantially stronger lower bounds for general formulas.