
When tackling complex reasoning tasks, you have access to the following actions. Use them as needed to progress through your thought process.

[ASSESS]

[ADVANCE]

[VERIFY]

[SIMPLIFY]

[SYNTHESIZE]

[PIVOT]

[OUTPUT]

You should strictly follow the format below:

[ACTION NAME]

# Your action step 1

# Your action step 2

# Your action step 3

...

Next action: [NEXT ACTION NAME]


system
The figure below shows a  $9\times7$  arrangement of  $2\times2$  squares. Alternate squares of the grid are split into two triangles with one of the triangles shaded. Find the area of the shaded region.
[asy]
size(5cm);
defaultpen(linewidth(.6));
fill((0,1)--(1,1)--(1,0)--cycle^^(0,3)--(1,3)--(1,2)--cycle^^(1,2)--(2,2)--(2,1)--cycle^^(2,1)--(3,1)--(3,0)--cycle,rgb(.76,.76,.76));
fill((0,5)--(1,5)--(1,4)--cycle^^(1,4)--(2,4)--(2,3)--cycle^^(2,3)--(3,3)--(3,2)--cycle^^(3,2)--(4,2)--(4,1)--cycle^^(4,1)--(5,1)--(5,0)--cycle,rgb(.76,.76,.76));
fill((0,7)--(1,7)--(1,6)--cycle^^(1,6)--(2,6)--(2,5)--cycle^^(2,5)--(3,5)--(3,4)--cycle^^(3,4)--(4,4)--(4,3)--cycle^^(4,3)--(5,3)--(5,2)--cycle^^(5,2)--(6,2)--(6,1)--cycle^^(6,1)--(7,1)--(7,0)--cycle,rgb(.76,.76,.76));
fill((2,7)--(3,7)--(3,6)--cycle^^(3,6)--(4,6)--(4,5)--cycle^^(4,5)--(5,5)--(5,4)--cycle^^(5,4)--(6,4)--(6,3)--cycle^^(6,3)--(7,3)--(7,2)--cycle^^(7,2)--(8,2)--(8,1)--cycle^^(8,1)--(9,1)--(9,0)--cycle,rgb(.76,.76,.76));
fill((4,7)--(5,7)--(5,6)--cycle^^(5,6)--(6,6)--(6,5)--cycle^^(6,5)--(7,5)--(7,4)--cycle^^(7,4)--(8,4)--(8,3)--cycle^^(8,3)--(9,3)--(9,2)--cycle,rgb(.76,.76,.76));
fill((6,7)--(7,7)--(7,6)--cycle^^(7,6)--(8,6)--(8,5)--cycle^^(8,5)--(9,5)--(9,4)--cycle,rgb(.76,.76,.76));
fill((8,7)--(9,7)--(9,6)--cycle,rgb(.76,.76,.76));
draw((0,0)--(0,7)^^(1,0)--(1,7)^^(2,0)--(2,7)^^(3,0)--(3,7)^^(4,0)--(4,7)^^(5,0)--(5,7)^^(6,0)--(6,7)^^(7,0)--(7,7)^^(8,0)--(8,7)^^(9,0)--(9,7));
draw((0,0)--(9,0)^^(0,1)--(9,1)^^(0,2)--(9,2)^^(0,3)--(9,3)^^(0,4)--(9,4)^^(0,5)--(9,5)^^(0,6)--(9,6)^^(0,7)--(9,7));
draw((0,1)--(1,0)^^(0,3)--(3,0)^^(0,5)--(5,0)^^(0,7)--(7,0)^^(2,7)--(9,0)^^(4,7)--(9,2)^^(6,7)--(9,4)^^(8,7)--(9,6));
[/asy]

Present the answer in LaTex format: \boxed{Your answer}
user