#include<iostream>
#include<vector>
#include<string>
#include<algorithm>	
#include<map>
#include<set>
#include<utility>
#include<cmath>
#include<cstring>
#include<queue>
#include<stack>
#include<cstdio>
#include<sstream>
#include<iomanip>
#include<assert.h>
#define loop(i,a,b) for(int i=a;i<b;i++) 
#define rep(i,a) loop(i,0,a)
#define pb push_back
#define all(in) in.begin(),in.end()
#define shosu(x) fixed<<setprecision(x)
using namespace std;
//kaewasuretyuui
typedef long long ll;
typedef pair<int,int> pii;
typedef vector<int> vi;
typedef vector<vi> vvi;
typedef vector<pii> vp;
typedef vector<vp> vvp;
typedef vector<string> vs;
typedef vector<double> vd;
typedef vector<vd> vvd;
typedef pair<int,pii> pip;
typedef vector<pip>vip;
const double PI=acos(-1);
const double EPS=1e-7;
const int inf=1e8;
const ll INF=1e16;
int dx[4]={0,1,0,-1};
int dy[4]={1,0,-1,0};
int main(){
	int n;
	cin>>n;
	vi in(n);
	rep(i,n)cin>>in[i];
	int out=0;
	rep(i,n-2){
		int a=max(in[i],max(in[i+1],in[i+2]));
		int b=min(in[i],min(in[i+1],in[i+2]));
		if(in[i]!=a&&in[i]!=b||in[i+2]!=a&&in[i+2]!=b)out++;
	}
	cout<<out<<endl;
}