
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
Vanya wrote the number 1 on the board and then several more numbers. Each time Vanya writes the next number, Mitya calculates the median of the numbers on the board and writes it down in his notebook. At a certain point, the numbers in Mitya's notebook are: $1, 2, 3, 2.5, 3, 2.5, 2, 2, 2, 2.5$.

a) What number was written on the board fourth?

b) What number was written on the board eighth?

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