Regular languages generated by reflexive finite splicing systems

Splicing systems are a generative device inspired by a cut and paste phenomenon on DNA molecules, introduced by Head in 1987 and subsequently defined with slight variations also by Paun and Pixton respectively [8,13,17]. We will face the problem of characterizing the class of regular languages generated by finite splicing systems. We will solve this problem for the special class of the reflexive finite splicing systems introduced in [9,10]. As a byproduct, we give a characterization of the regular languages generated by finite Head splicing systems. As in already known results, the notion of constant, given by Schiltzenberger in [19], intervenes.