一般来说，它是一种使用相同或表面上相似的API来为许多不同类型的对象提供接口的能力。有多种形式:

Function overloading: defining multiple functions with the same name and different parameter types, such as sqrt(float), sqrt(double) and sqrt(complex). In most languages that allow this, the compiler will automatically select the correct one for the type of argument being passed into it, thus this is compile-time polymorphism. Virtual methods in OOP: a method of a class can have various implementations tailored to the specifics of its subclasses; each of these is said to override the implementation given in the base class. Given an object that may be of the base class or any of its subclasses, the correct implementation is selected on the fly, thus this is run-time polymorphism. Templates: a feature of some OO languages whereby a function, class, etc. can be parameterised by a type. For example, you can define a generic "list" template class, and then instantiate it as "list of integers", "list of strings", maybe even "list of lists of strings" or the like. Generally, you write the code once for a data structure of arbitrary element type, and the compiler generates versions of it for the various element types.

多态是指您可以将对象视为某个对象的通用版本，但当您访问它时，代码将确定它的确切类型并调用相关代码。

下面是一个c#的例子。在控制台应用程序中创建四个类:

public abstract class Vehicle
{
    public abstract int Wheels;
}

public class Bicycle : Vehicle
{
    public override int Wheels()
    {
        return 2;
    }
}

public class Car : Vehicle
{
    public override int Wheels()
    {
        return 4;
    }
}

public class Truck : Vehicle
{
    public override int Wheels()
    {
        return 18;
    }
}

现在在控制台应用程序模块的Main()中创建以下内容:

public void Main()
{
    List<Vehicle> vehicles = new List<Vehicle>();

    vehicles.Add(new Bicycle());
    vehicles.Add(new Car());
    vehicles.Add(new Truck());

    foreach (Vehicle v in vehicles)
    {
        Console.WriteLine(
            string.Format("A {0} has {1} wheels.",
                v.GetType().Name, v.Wheels));
    }
}

在这个例子中，我们创建了一个基类Vehicle的列表，它不知道它的每个子类有多少个轮子，但是知道每个子类负责知道它有多少个轮子。

然后我们将自行车、汽车和卡车添加到列表中。

接下来，我们可以循环遍历列表中的每个Vehicle，并将它们都视为相同的，但是当我们访问每个Vehicles 'Wheels'属性时，Vehicle类将该代码的执行委托给相关的子类。

该代码被称为多态代码，因为执行的确切代码是由在运行时引用的子类决定的。

我希望这对你有所帮助。

在编码术语中，多态性是指您的对象可以通过继承等方式以多种类型存在。如果你创建了一个名为“Shape”的类，它定义了对象的边数，那么你可以创建一个继承它的新类，如“Square”。当你随后创建一个“Square”实例时，你可以根据需要将它从“Shape”前后转换为“Square”。

从理解和应用PHP多态性，感谢Steve Guidetti。

Polymorphism is a long word for a very simple concept. Polymorphism describes a pattern in object oriented programming in which classes have different functionality while sharing a common interface. The beauty of polymorphism is that the code working with the different classes does not need to know which class it is using since they’re all used the same way. A real world analogy for polymorphism is a button. Everyone knows how to use a button: you simply apply pressure to it. What a button “does,” however, depends on what it is connected to and the context in which it is used — but the result does not affect how it is used. If your boss tells you to press a button, you already have all the information needed to perform the task. In the programming world, polymorphism is used to make applications more modular and extensible. Instead of messy conditional statements describing different courses of action, you create interchangeable objects that you select based on your needs. That is the basic goal of polymorphism.

多态性是在给定类中使用对象的能力，其中组成对象的所有组件都由给定类的子类继承。这意味着一旦这个对象被一个类声明，它下面的所有子类(以及它们的子类，直到你到达最远/最低的子类)继承对象和它的组件(化妆)。

请记住，每个类必须保存在单独的文件中。

下面的代码演示了多态性:

超类:

public class Parent {
    //Define things that all classes share
    String maidenName;
    String familyTree;

    //Give the top class a default method
    public void speak(){
         System.out.println("We are all Parents");
    }
}

父类，一个子类:

public class Father extends Parent{
    //Can use maidenName and familyTree here
    String name="Joe";
    String called="dad";

    //Give the top class a default method
    public void speak(){
        System.out.println("I am "+name+", the father.");
    }
}

child，另一个子类:

public class Child extends Father {
    //Can use maidenName, familyTree, called and name here

    //Give the top class a default method
    public void speak(){
        System.out.println("Hi "+called+". What are we going to do today?");
    }
}

执行方法引用父类来启动:

public class Parenting{
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Parent parents = new Parent();
        Parent parent = new Father();
        Parent child = new Child();

        parents.speak();
        parent.speak();
        child.speak();
    }
}

注意，每个类需要在单独的*.java文件中声明。 代码应该被编译。 还要注意，您可以继续使用maidenName和familyTree。 这就是多态性的概念。 这里还探讨了继承的概念，可以使用一个类，或者由子类进一步定义。

希望这能帮到你，让你明白。 当我找到一台我可以用来验证代码的计算机时，我会发布结果。谢谢您的耐心等待!

多态性允许相同的例程(函数、方法)作用于不同的类型。

由于许多现有的答案将子类型与多态性混为一谈，这里有三种实现多态性的方法(包括子类型)。

参数化(泛型)多态性允许一个例程接受一个或多个类型参数，以及正常参数，并在这些类型上运行。 子类型多态性允许例程对其参数的任何子类型进行操作。 临时多态性通常使用例程重载来授予多态行为，但也可以参考其他多态性实现。

参见:

http://wiki.c2.com/?CategoryPolymorphism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymorphism_ (computer_science)