TITLE: Proving that $x - \frac{x^3}{3!} < \sin x < x$ for all $x>0$
QUESTION [9 upvotes]: Prove that $x - \frac{x^3}{3!} < \sin(x) < x$ for all $x>0$

This should be fairly straightforward but the proof seems to be alluding me.  
I want to show $x - \frac{x^3}{3!} < \sin(x) < x$ for all $x>0$.  I recognize this shouldn't be too difficult but perhaps finals have fried my brain.

REPLY [5 votes]: Recursive integration We know that $$0\le\cos a\le 1\implies \sin t = \int_0^t\cos s ds < t$$ for $0\lt t\lt z\lt x$. Integrating over $\color{blue}{(0,z)}$ we get
$$1-\cos z=\int_0^z\sin tdt < \int_0^ztdt= \frac{z^2}{2}$$
that is for all $0<z<x$ we have,
$$\color{blue}{1-\frac{z^2}{2}< \cos z\le 1}$$
integrating again over $\color{blue}{(0,x)}$ we get
$$\color{red}{x-\frac{x^3}{6} = \int_0^x 1-\frac{z^2}{2} dz< \int_0^x\cos z dz=\sin x}$$
that is
$$\color{blue}{x-\frac{x^3}{6} <\sin x< x}$$

continuing with this process you get,
$$\color{blue}{1-\frac{x^2}{2}< \cos x< 1-\frac{x^2}{2}+\frac{x^4}{24} }$$
$$\color{blue}{x-\frac{x^3}{6} <\sin x< x-\frac{x^3}{6} +\frac{x^5}{5!}}$$

More generally for  $n\geq1$, by induction we get
$$\color{blue}{\sum_{k=0}^{2n-1}(-1)^k\frac{x^{2k}}{(2k)!}<\cos x<\sum_{k=0}^{2n-1}(-1)^k\frac{x^{2k}}{(2k)!}+\frac{x^{4n}}{(4n)!} }$$
$$\color{blue}{\sum_{k=0}^{2n-1}(-1)^k\frac{x^{2k+1}}{(2k+1)!} <\sin x<\sum_{k=0}^{2n-1}(-1)^k\frac{x^{2k+1}}{(2k+1)!}+\frac{x^{4n+1}}{(4n+1)!}}$$