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I hear this phrase time and time again, mostly from very senior professors:
"Do you know the new book by [person]."
"Yes. He was a student of [famous guy]".
Before anyone asks, it's mostly male individuals in the discussion.
What is the social function of that phrase? That phrase gets mentioned almost immediately and unprompted. I guess it shows the importance of academic pedigree.
There is sometimes some information communicated by this.
A scholar's research interests and general approach to the topics they work on can be quite difficult to describe succinctly. If it's possible to relate them to the interests and approach of some well-known scholar, this would be a good way to communicate this information briefly.
If the author is a relatively junior scholar likely still to share interests and approach with their advisor, this is useful. This frequently happens in fields where research is frequently communicated by books, where it's common for a person's PhD dissertation to be revised and published as a monograph. If the author is a more senior scholar, the other answer applies.
It means "What a stroke of luck: I've thought of something vaguely apposite to say! I'd better say it quick before I get a reputation as the uncommunicative, socially awkward one."
