Factorial interpretation of the class number in the orders of quadratic fields (Q5930092)

Let \({\mathcal O}_f\) be an order with conductor \(f\) in a quadratic number field \(k\), let \(h_f\) denote the order of the class group \(\text{ Cl}_f\) of \({\mathcal O}_f\), and let \(e_f\) denote its exponent. An element \(\pi\) of the multiplicative semigroup \(A_f\) of elements of \({\mathcal O}_f\) coprime to \(f\) is said to be \(e_f\)-prime if \(\pi \mid \alpha\beta\) in \(A_f\) implies that \(\pi \mid \alpha^{e_f}\) or \(\pi \mid \beta^{e_f}\) in \(A_f\). The main result is the following: for any nonzero nonunit \(\alpha \in A_f\) there are \(e_f\)-prime elements \(\pi_i\) such that \(\alpha^{e_f}\) can be written uniquely (up to order and up to units) as a product of powers of the \(\pi_i\).