
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 the *minesweeper* game below, each unopened square (for example, the one in the top left corner) is either empty or contains a mine. The other squares are empty and display the number of mines in the neighboring 8 squares (if this is 0, the square is unmarked). What is the minimum possible number of mines present on the field?

![Image](http://services.artofproblemsolving.com/download.php?id=YXR0YWNobWVudHMvZS9hLzNlYTNhMjI2YWYyNmFkZGFiNWFmODBhNzA3YjA3OWM5MTZlNDlkLnBuZw==&rn=bWluZXN3ZWVwZXIucG5n)

*2016 CCA Math Bonanza Team #4*

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