
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
In a  $7 \times 7$  square table, some of the squares are colored black and the others white, such that each white square is adjacent (along an edge) to an edge of the table or to a black square. Find the minimum number of black squares on the table.

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