A Dedekind domain without prime elements

commutative-algebraexamples-counterexamplesfactoringring-theory

We know examples of non Noetherian Prüfer domains, which do not contain any irreducible elements.

On the other hand, a Dedekind domain (not being a field) always contains irreducible elements since it is Noetherian and therefore atomic.

Now my question is if there are Dedekind domains which do not contain prime elements. Equivalently, one could ask after a Dedekind domain without principal maximal ideals.

I can neither find a proof that every Dedekind domain has a principal maximal ideal nor a counterexample of one that has no such ideal.

Every help will be appreciated! Thanks in advance!

Best Answer

Let $R=\mathbb C[X,Y]/(Y^2-X^3-X)$. This is a Dedekind domain, and its non-zero prime ideals are of the form $(x-a,y-b)$ with $b^2=a^3+a$.

I let you as an exercise to prove that these are not principal. (Hint. Show that $x-a$ and $y-b$ are irreducible in $R$.)