Sets of lengths in maximal orders in central simple algebras

Let [Formula: see text] be a holomorphy ring in a global field K, and R a classical maximal [Formula: see text]-order in a central simple algebra over K. We study sets of lengths of factorizations of cancellative elements of R into atoms (irreducibles). In a large majority of cases there exists a transfer homomorphism to a monoid of zero-sum sequences over a ray class group of [Formula: see text], which implies that all the structural finiteness results for sets of lengths-valid for commutative Krull monoids with finite class group-hold also true for R. If [Formula: see text] is the ring of algebraic integers of a number field K, we prove that in the remaining cases no such transfer homomorphism can exist and that several invariants dealing with sets of lengths are infinite.