Although Lu Zhou knew little about economics, at a place like Princeton, anyone studying a subject even remotely related to mathematics would inevitably have some dealings with mathematicians.
Especially when it came to economics.
Unless a new form of social relations of production emerged, or human civilization expanded its sphere of activity, it was already difficult to develop novel theories through traditional theoretical research methods.
Therefore, mathematics was arguably the only way forward for modern economists who wanted to produce outstanding research. Although traditional economists criticized this state of affairs as playing games with numbers, it had undeniably helped countless doctoral students in the field graduate and find jobs.
In fact, after so many years of unchecked growth in the theoretical realm, mathematics had become a bottomless mine for any computational science. Whether scholars in other fields could extract anything valuable depended entirely on how they used and refined the mathematical tools forged through countless difficult problems, then incorporated them into their own disciplines.
Thus, although Lu Zhou was not particularly interested in economics, whenever he appeared at the café on the first floor of the Institute for Advanced Study at three in the afternoon, professors studying economics would occasionally strike up conversations with him and discuss mathematical problems that were not especially difficult.
After all those years at Princeton, Lu Zhou had dealt with more leading economists than he could count on both hands.
That was not even mentioning the heavyweights who had won Nobel Prizes. Even the editors of the two leading journals, Nature and Science, had close ties with him.
Anyone with a functioning brain would never risk offending someone of his stature just to withhold a master's student's graduation certificate and degree...
As for why Lu Zhou insisted on being the corresponding author...
It was not