Showing that $\mathbb Q(\sqrt{17})$ has class number 1

Hint: $$ \left(\frac{3+\sqrt{17}}2\right)\left(\frac{3-\sqrt{17}}2\right)=\frac{9-17}4=-2. $$

We show that $$\left\langle 2,\frac{1+\sqrt{17}}{2}\right\rangle = \left\langle \frac{5+\sqrt{17}}{2}\right\rangle.$$ Since, $$\frac{5+\sqrt{17}}{2}=2+\frac{1+\sqrt{17}}{2},$$ we have $$\frac{5+\sqrt{17}}{2}\in\left\langle 2,\frac{1+\sqrt{17}}{2}\right\rangle,$$ thus $$\left\langle 2,\frac{1+\sqrt{17}}{2}\right\rangle \subseteq \left\langle \frac{5+\sqrt{17}}{2}\right\rangle.$$ Now these two ideals have the same Norm--namely, $2$. Therefore, $$\left\langle 2,\frac{1+\sqrt{17}}{2}\right\rangle = \left\langle \frac{5+\sqrt{17}}{2}\right\rangle.$$ The proof of the principality of $\frac{5+\sqrt{17}}{2}$ is similar.

Here because of a duplicate. Though it does seem like the original asker does pop in from time to time.

I'm not sure if the duplicate asker is aware of algebraic integers such as $$\theta = \frac{1}{2} + \frac{\sqrt{17}}{2},$$ which is a solution to $x^2 - x - 4$, though the duplicate asker is aware of the Minkowski bound.

So this tells us $N(\theta) = -4$, while obviously $N(2) = 4$. This suggests that $$¿ N\left(\left\langle 2, \frac{1}{2} + \frac{\sqrt{17}}{2} \right\rangle\right) = 4 ?$$ However, if $\mathcal O_{\mathbb Q(\sqrt{17})}$ does indeed have class number 1, that would mean that 16 has one distinct factorization (ignoring multiplication by units) and so $$16 = 2^4 = \left(\frac{1}{2} - \frac{\sqrt{17}}{2}\right)^2 \left(\frac{1}{2} + \frac{\sqrt{17}}{2}\right)^2$$ represents incomplete factorizations, just like $16 = 4^2 = 2 \times 8$ in $\mathbb Z$.

It's not a given that this is a Euclidean domain even if it does have class number 1. However, it wouldn't hurt to try. And so we find by the Euclidean algorithm that $$\gcd\left(2, \frac{1}{2} + \frac{\sqrt{17}}{2}\right) = \frac{5}{2} + \frac{\sqrt{17}}{2},$$ and indeed $$2 + \frac{1}{2} + \frac{\sqrt{17}}{2} = \frac{5}{2} + \frac{\sqrt{17}}{2}.$$

Furthermore, since $$\frac{5}{2} - \frac{\sqrt{17}}{2} \in \left\langle \frac{5}{2} + \frac{\sqrt{17}}{2} \right\rangle,$$ it follows that $$\langle 2 \rangle = \left\langle \frac{5}{2} + \frac{\sqrt{17}}{2} \right\rangle^2.$$ That's a principal ideal after all.

Since $$\left(\frac{17}{3}\right) = -1$$ (that's the Legendre symbol), 3 is prime in this ring. But it's well over the Minkowski bound anyway, so we're done.

EDIT: Jyrki Lahtonen points out a mistake I made regarding $\langle 2 \rangle$. The correct factorization is $$\langle 2 \rangle = \left\langle \frac{5}{2} - \frac{\sqrt{17}}{2} \right\rangle \left\langle \frac{5}{2} + \frac{\sqrt{17}}{2} \right\rangle.$$ This does not detract from the point that these are all principal ideals.