The observed mass distribution of stars can be understood as the 
effect of supersonic turbulence in present-day star forming 
environments. I will present results of numerical simulations of 
supersonic turbulence that have allowed us to quantify universal 
statistical properties of supersonic turbulence. These properties can 
then be used to derive a statistical model for the origin of stellar 
mass distribution as a function of turbulent rms velocity, mean gas 
density, temperature and magnetic field strength. The model predicts 
the existence of a critical magnetic field strength below which the 
slope of the power law range of the stellar IMF becomes very steep. 
This suggests that the IMF of population III or early population II 
stars may be much steeper than a Salpeter IMF, though probably 
shifted to a larger mean mass, of order 10 solar masses. I will then 
present results from the largest simulations of supersonic turbulence 
to date, confirming the validity of the predictions of the simple 
statistical model for the origin of the IMF.