‌‌‌‌　　英：matheme; 法：matheme

‌‌‌‌　　“数元”或“数学型”(matheme)这一术语大概是拉康通过类比于“神话素”(mytheme)的概念 (克劳德·列维-斯特劳斯创造出这个术语以表示神话系统的基本构成性要素：见：Lvi-Strauss, 1955)而从“数学”一词中导出的一个新词。数元属于拉康的代数学 (ALGEBRA).

‌‌‌‌　　虽然数元这个术语直至1970年代早期才被拉康引入，但是最常被称作数元的两则公式可以追溯至1957年。这两则公式皆是为了指代欲望图解 (GRAPH OF DESIRE)中的位点而被创造出来的，它们即是冲动的数元 ($◇D)与幻想的数元 (S ◇a)。这两个数元之间的结构性平行是显而易见的；它们皆是由两个联结有菱形 (符号◇，拉康将其称作“冲孔”[poincon])并且被封入括号的代数学符号所构成的。菱形象征着两个符号之间的某种关系，其中包括“包围 (envelopment)一发展 (development)一联合 (conjunction)一分离 (disjunction)”等多种关系2 (E, 280,n.26).

‌‌‌‌　　拉康指出，这些数元“并非超验的能指，它们皆是一种绝对意指的指示符”(E, 314)。它们“被创造出来以允许101种不同的解读，只要说出的话仍然不脱离于它们的代数学，此种多样性就是可容许的”(E, 313)。它们被构造出来以抵制任何旨在把它们化约为某种单义意指的企图，也是要防止读者对于精神分析概念的直觉化或是想象性理解：这些数元不是用来理解的，而是用来使用的。通过这样的方式，它们便构成了精神分析理论的一个形式核心，使之可以完整地传递下去，“我们当然不知道它们意味着什么，但是它们会被传递下去”(S20,100)。

‌‌‌‌　　(matheme) The term matheme is a neologism which Lacan derives from the wordmathematics', presumably by analogy with the term mytheme (a term coined by Claude Levi-Strauss to denote the basic constituents of mythological systems; see Levi-Strauss, 1955). The mathemes are part of Lacanian ALGEBRA. Although the term matheme isnot introduced by Lacan until the early

‌‌‌‌　　1970s, the two formulae which are most often referred to as mathemes date from1957. These formulae, which were both created to designate points in the GRAPH OFDESIRE, are the matheme for the drive, ($◇D) and the matheme for fantasy,（S ◇a）. The structural parallel between the two mathemes is clear; they are both composed of twoalgebraic symbols conjoined by a rhomboid (the symbol 0, which Lacan calls thepoingon) and enclosed by brackets. The rhomboid symbolises a relation between the twosymbols, which includes the relations of 'envelopment-development-conjunction-disjunction' (E, 280,n.26).

‌‌‌‌　　Lacan argues that the mathemes 'are not transcendent signifiers; they are the indices ofan absolute signification' (E, 314). They are 'created to allow a hundred and one differentreadings, a multiplicity that is admissible as long as the spoken remains caught in theiralgebra' (E, 313). They are constructed to resist any attempt to reduce them to oneunivocalsignification, and to prevent the reader from an intuitive or imaginary understanding of psychoanalytic concepts;the mathemes are not to be understood but tobe used.In this way,they constitute a formal core of psychoanalytic theory which may betransmitted integrally;'one certainly doesn't know what they mean,but they aretransmitted'(S20,100).