As winter continues to drag on, I dream of being warm. I have decided to build a hot tub so that I can enjoy the falling snow while pleasantly relaxing in comfort. In my backyard, I have a deck that is a right-angled triangle with side lengths 9ft and 18ft. I would like to build a hot tub into the deck such that half of the hot tub is surrounded by the deck and half is not and such that the hot tub stays 2ft from the sides of the deck. How big of a hot tub can I build?

Please submit your answer, along with your name and email address, to Professor Clay, Arter 104E. Solutions must be received by Friday, April 1^st. All are invited to submit an answer, even Computer Science professors. All who submit a correct answer win FREE HOMEMADE COOKIES!! The student with the most correct answers at the end of the semester wins a copy of New Mathematical Diversions by legendary math puzzler Martin Gardner.