Abstract: In view of the current development trend and theoretical research of the metaverse, this paper redefines the conceptual connotation of the metaverse. The origin of the metaverse can be traced back to digital data, and its technological source is various digital data generation technologies. According to two topological dimensions, such as the field of action of the digital form and the inter-domain nature of the interaction between the virtual and the real world, the metaverse can be divided into four types of staged forms: pure digital world, digital twin world, virtual-real co-construction world and virtual-real collaborative world. Putting the metaverse in the overall evolution process of the digital form, we found the evolution mechanism between its four development forms. That is, the pure digital world is closely related to the traditional cyberspace and has become the first choice for metaverse innovation, and the digital twin world focuses on the industrial real world. The virtual-real co-construction world integrates the structures and functions of the pure digital world and the digital twin world, and the virtual-real collaborative world is an advanced form of the virtual-real co-constructed world which is driven by the innovation of human digital concepts. This paper clarifies the conceptual connotation, form development and evolution mechanism of the metaverse, and provides a theoretical basis for the subsequent industrial policy formulation and the construction of the governance system of the metaverse.

摘要： 针对当前元宇宙的发展态势和理论研究，本文重新界定了元宇宙的概念内涵。元宇宙的样态本源可追溯至数字化数据，其技术源头则是各类数字化数据生成技术。根据数字样态的作用场域和虚实世界互动过程的主体跨域性等两个拓扑维度，可将元宇宙划分为四类阶段性形态：纯数字化 世界、数字孪生世界、虚实互构世界和虚实协同世界。将元宇宙置于数字样态的整体演进历程中发现其四种发展形态之间的演化机理，即，纯数字化世界与传统网络空间紧密相关而成为元宇宙创新的首选之地，数字孪生世界的元宇宙侧重于工业实在世界，虚实互构世界综合了纯数字化世界和数字孪生世界的结构与功能，虚实协同世界则是人类数字化观念革新的驱使下虚实互构世界的高级形态。本文澄清了元宇宙的概念内涵、形态发展与演变机理，为后续的产业政策制定和治理体系建构提供了学理基础。