1. The problem is to multiply the numbers 18 and 18. 2. The formula for multiplication is simply $a \times b = c$, where $a$ and $b$ are the numbers to multiply, and $c$ is the product. 3. Multiply 18 by 18: $$18 \times 18$$ 4. Calculate the product: $$18 \times 18 = 324$$ 5. Therefore, the answer is 324.