#include<bits/stdc++.h>

using namespace std;
typedef unsigned int uint;
typedef long long int ll;
typedef unsigned long long int ull;

#define debugv(v) printf("L%d %s => ",__LINE__,#v);for(auto e:v){cout<<e<<" ";}cout<<endl;
#define debugm(m) printf("L%d %s is..\n",__LINE__,#m);for(auto v:m){for(auto e:v){cout<<e<<" ";}cout<<endl;}
#define debuga(m,w) printf("L%d %s is => ",__LINE__,#m);for(int x=0;x<(w);x++){cout<<(m)[x]<<" ";}cout<<endl;
#define debugaa(m,w,h) printf("L%d %s is..\n",__LINE__,#m);for(int y=0;y<(h);y++){for(int x=0;x<(w);x++){cout<<(m)[x][y]<<" ";}cout<<endl;}
#define debugaar(m,w,h) printf("L%d %s is..\n",__LINE__,#m);for(int y=0;y<(h);y++){for(int x=0;x<(w);x++){cout<<(m)[y][x]<<" ";}cout<<endl;}
#define ALL(v) (v).begin(),(v).end()
#define BIGINT 0x7FFFFFFF
#define E107 1000000007ll
void printbit(int u){if(u==0)cout<<0;else{int s=0,k=0;for(;0<u;u>>=1,k++)s=(s<<1)|(u&1);for(;0<k--;s>>=1)cout<<(s&1);}}

#define TIME chrono::system_clock::now()
#define MILLISEC(t) (chrono::duration_cast<chrono::milliseconds>(t).count())

template<typename T1,typename T2>
ostream& operator <<(ostream &o,const pair<T1,T2> p){o<<"("<<p.first<<":"<<p.second<<")";return o;}

int width,height;
int m,n;

inline bool kadomatu(int a,int b,int c){
    return a!=b&&b!=c&&c!=a&&((a<b && c<b)||(a>b && c>b));
}

int stk[3];

int main(){
    int i,j,k;
    int x,y,a,b;
    
    cin >> n;
    
    scanf("%d%d",stk,stk+1);
    
    int result = 0;
    for (i=2;i<n;i++){
        scanf("%d",stk+2);
        result+= (!!kadomatu(stk[0],stk[1],stk[2]));
        stk[0] = stk[1];
        stk[1] = stk[2];
    }
    
    cout << result << endl;

    return 0;
}