We develop Yang's Xu-Shi Ontology within Energy-Efficiency Theory (EET), establishing that Xu (virtual) and Shi (actual) are the functional-layer projections of free-state and constrained-state energy, respectively. The framework provides unified quantitative indices across physical, functional, and value layers, derives the optimal virtualization degree Vopt≈0.6±0.1Vopt≈0.6±0.1 from efficiency maximization, and validates it with empirical data from monetary systems (IMF), information technology (ITU), and biological metabolism (KEGG). The framework yields testable predictions for systemic stability and cross-scale dynamics, offering a first-principles foundation for analyzing complex systems from microphysics to civilizational evolution. All code and data are provided for reproducibility.
Hongpu Yang (Thu,) studied this question.