Shifa Liu, whose papers indicate a connection to Peking University in China, has published 499 papers (and counting) on ​​topics in physics and mathematics. His daughter, a student at an American university, is listed as a co-author on over 100 of those preprints. In some cases, she was even listed as a corresponding author.

The daughter said she "had no part in the research, writing, or submission of any of those papers," adding that her father included her name "without my knowledge or consent." "I asked him to stop, but he wouldn't stop," she said. She also said she had contacted the preprint servers to have her name removed.

Liu says his work is “systematic and original,” and that many of his papers challenge traditional methods in mathematics and physics. “There is no necessary connection between academic research and institutional affiliation, and this truth is clearly embodied in my case,” Liu said.

Another high-profile case has interested scientists. Read now