A characterization of finite abelian groups via sets of lengths in transfer Krull monoids

Let $H$ be a transfer Krull monoid over a finite ablian group $G$ (for example, rings of integers, holomorphy rings in algebraic function fields, and regular congruence monoids in these domains). Then each nonunit $a \in H$ can be written as a product of irreducible elements, say $a = u_1 \ldots u_k$, and the number of factors $k$ is called the length of the factorization. The set $\mathsf L (a)$ of all possible factorization lengths is the set of lengths of $a$. It is classical that the system $\mathcal L (H) = \{ \mathsf L (a) \mid a \in H \}$ of all sets of lengths depends only on the group $G$, and a standing conjecture states that conversely the system $\mathcal L (H)$ is characteristic for the group $G$. Let $H'$ be a further transfer Krull monoid over a finite ablian group $G'$ and suppose that $\mathcal L (H)= \mathcal L (H')$. We prove that, if $G\cong C_n^r$ with $r\le n-3$ or ($r\ge n-1\ge 2$ and $n$ is a prime power), then $G$ and $G'$ are isomorphic.
to appear in Communications in Algebra