the metasystem transition, which denotes the evolutionary process through which higher levels of control emerge in system structure and function. Turchin uses this concept to provide a global theory of evolution and a coherent social systems theory, to develop a complete cybernetics philosophical and ethical system, and to build a constructivist foundation for mathematics. Using the REFAL language he has implemented a Supercompiler, a unified method for program transformation and optimization based on a metasystem transition. Major publications Refal-5: Programming Guide and Reference Manual, New England Publishing Co. Holyoke MA, 1989 Principia Cybernetica Web (as editor, together with F. Heylighen and C. Joslyn) (1993–2005) Most cited publications according to Google Scholar References External links Valentin Turchin, eulogy by Edward Kline, President of The Andrei Sakharov Foundation Turchin's home page on Principia Cybernetica web Profile of Valentin Turchin by Ben Goertzel Russian edition. The Phenomenon of Science The Phenomenon of Science. A cybernetic approach to human evolution. ETS Publishing House. Moscow - 2000, 398 pp, refal.ru - REFAL and Supercompilation community 1931 births 2010 deaths Cyberneticists Soviet human rights activists Superorganisms Systems scientists Complex systems scientists People from Oakland, New Jersey People from Podolsk Soviet dissidents Soviet emigrants to the United States City University of New York faculty Amnesty International people Moscow State University alumni Soviet mathematicians Soviet physicists Programming language designers