1. The problem is to evaluate the expression $3^6$. 2. The formula for exponentiation is $a^n = a \times a \times \cdots \times a$ (n times). 3. Here, $a=3$ and $n=6$, so we multiply 3 by itself 6 times: $$3^6 = 3 \times 3 \times 3 \times 3 \times 3 \times 3$$ 4. Calculate step-by-step: $$3 \times 3 = 9$$ $$9 \times 3 = 27$$ $$27 \times 3 = 81$$ $$81 \times 3 = 243$$ $$243 \times 3 = 729$$ 5. Therefore, the value of $3^6$ is 729.