We study the non-uniqueness of factorizations of non zero-divisors into atoms
(irreducibles) in noncommutative rings. To do so, we extend concepts from the
commutative theory of non-unique factorizations to a noncommutative setting.
Several notions of factorizations as well as distances between them are
introduced. In addition, arithmetical invariants characterizing the
non-uniqueness of factorizations such as the catenary degree, the
Ο-invariant, and the tame degree, are extended from commutative to
noncommutative settings. We introduce the concept of a cancellative semigroup
being permutably factorial, and characterize this property by means of
corresponding catenary and tame degrees. Also, we give necessary and sufficient
conditions for there to be a weak transfer homomorphism from a cancellative
semigroup to its reduced abelianization. Applying the abstract machinery we
develop, we determine various catenary degrees for classical maximal orders in
central simple algebras over global fields by using a natural transfer
homomorphism to a monoid of zero-sum sequences over a ray class group. We also
determine catenary degrees and the permutable tame degree for the semigroup of
non zero-divisors of the ring of nΓn upper triangular matrices over a
commutative domain using a weak transfer homomorphism to a commutative
semigroup.Comment: 45 page