
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
n people each have a unique item of news. Every hour, phone calls take place between pairs of people, each lasting exactly an hour, during which the two participants exchange all the news they have. How long does it take for everyone to know all the news?

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