# Conjecture about polynomials $f_n\in\mathbb Q[X_1,\dots,X_n]$ defining bijections $\mathbb N^n\to\mathbb N$

This is inspired by an answer of a question of mine:

Bijective polynomials $$f\in\mathbb Q[X_1,\dots,X_n]$$

There is a polynomial $$f_1\in\mathbb Q[X_1]$$ which define a bijection $$f_1:\mathbb N\to\mathbb N$$, $$f_1(X_1)=X_1$$.

There is a polynomial $$f_2\in\mathbb Q[X_1,X_2]$$ which define a bijection $$f_2:\mathbb N^2\to\mathbb N$$,

$$\displaystyle f_2(X_1,X_2)=\frac{(X_1+X_2)(X_1+X_2+1)}{2}+f_1(X_1)$$.

And as far as I understand and have tested there is a polynomial $$f_3\in\mathbb Q[X_1,X_2,X_3]$$ which define a bijection $$f_3:\mathbb N^3\to\mathbb N$$

$$\displaystyle f_3(X_1,X_2,X_3)=\frac{(X_1+X_2+X_3)(X_1+X_2+X_3+1)(X_1+X_2+X_3+2)}{6}+f_2(X_1,X_2)$$.

This seems possible to generalize as

$$\displaystyle f_{n+1}(X_1,\dots ,X_{n+1})=f_{n}(X_1,\dots ,X_{n})+\frac{1}{(n+1)!}\prod_{k=1}^{n+1}\Big(k-1+\sum_{i=1}^{n+1}X_i\Big)$$.

This is a generalisation of the diagonalization in case of $$n=2$$ with "triangularization", "tetraederization" or higher. Now the conjecture is

$$\displaystyle f_n(X_1,\dots,X_n)$$ define a bijection $$\mathbb N^n\to\mathbb N$$ for all $$n>0$$.

Induction seems natural but how to prove that $$f_n$$ is a bijection implies that $$f_{n+1}$$ is a bijection?

What I want are proofs, parts of proofs or counter proofs.

The diagonalization argument can indeed be generalized. Roughly, one can see all elements of $$\mathbb{N}$$ appear in order by going through all hyperplanes $$X_1+\ldots+X_n = s$$.
Now for the proof. Let $$s=X_1+...+X_n$$. Then your function $$f_n$$ can be written as $$f_n(X_1, ..., X_n) = \binom{s+n-1}{n} + f_{n-1}(X_1, \ldots, X_{n-1}),$$ with the conventions that $$f_n(0,\ldots, 0) = 0$$ and $$f_0 = 0$$.
Claim: Fix $$s\in \mathbb{N}$$. Then $$f_n$$ induces a bijection $$\Big\{ (X_1, \ldots, X_n)\in \mathbb{N}^n \ | \ s=X_1+...+X_n \Big\} \xrightarrow{f_n} \Big[ \binom{s+n-1}{n}, \binom{s+n}{n} -1\Big],$$ where $$[x,y]$$ is the set of integers from $$x$$ to $$y$$, and if $$s=0$$, then the set on the right is $$[0,0]$$ by convention.
Proof of the claim. It is obviously true for $$n=1$$. Assume it is true for $$n-1$$. Let us show it is true for $$n$$.
For a fixed $$s=X_1+...+X_n$$, the value $$t=X_1 + \ldots + X_{n-1}$$ can be anything from $$0$$ to $$s$$, depending on the value of $$X_n$$. Thus, by the hypothesis on $$f_{n-1}$$, it induces a bijection $$\Big\{ (X_1, \ldots, X_n)\in \mathbb{N}^n \ | \ s=X_1+...+X_n \Big\} \xrightarrow{f_{n-1}} \Big[ 0, \binom{s+n-1}{n-1} -1\Big]$$ defined by $$(X_1, \ldots, X_n) \mapsto f_{n-1}(X_1, \ldots, X_{n-1})$$. Thus $$f_n$$ induces a bijection from the set on the left to the interval $$\Big[\binom{s+n-1}{n}, \binom{s+n-1}{n} + \binom{s+n-1}{n-1}-1\Big]$$. Since $$\binom{s+n-1}{n} + \binom{s+n-1}{n-1} = \binom{s+n}{n}$$, the claim is proved.
The fact that $$f_n$$ is a bijection from $$\mathbb{N}^n$$ to $$\mathbb{N}$$ then follows immediately from the claim.