I can swim 2 miles per hour and run 6 miles per hour. I am walking north along South Beach and see someone drowning 0.5 mile out in the ocean and 1 mile north of me. What combination of running and...

I can swim 2 miles per hour and run 6 miles per hour. I am walking north along South Beach and see someone drowning 0.5 mile out in the ocean and 1 mile north of me. What combination of running and swimming is the quickest way to reach the swimmer?

A triangle has a 5-inch side and a 12-inch side. To maximize the area of the triangle what should the third side be? Can you generalize this result?