using System;
using System.Linq;
using System.Numerics;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.IO;
using System.Text;

public class Solver
{
    public void Solve()
    {
        int n = ri;
        int[] p = new int[n];
        for(int i = 0; i < n; i++)
        {
            p[i] = ri;
        }
        int t = 0;
        for(int i = 1; i < n - 1; i++)
        {
            if (p[i - 1] + p[i + 1] == Min(p[i - 1], p[i], p[i + 1]) + Max(p[i - 1], p[i], p[i + 1]))
            {
                t++;
            }
        }
        Write(t);
    }

    int ri { get { return sc.Integer(); } }
    long rl { get { return sc.Long(); } }
    double rd { get { return sc.Double(); } }
    string rs { get { return sc.Scan(); } }
    public StreamScanner sc = new StreamScanner(Console.OpenStandardInput());
    
    private const long mod = 1000000007;
    long Reverse(long n) { return Pow(n, mod - 2); }
    int Abs(int n) { return (n > 0) ? n : -n; }
    int Gcd(params int[] n) { int p = n[0]; for (int i = 1; i < n.Length; i++) { p = Gcd(p, n[i]); } return p; }
    int Gcd(int a, int b) { return (a == 0) ? b : Gcd(b % a, a); }
    int Lcm(params int[] n) { int p = n[0]; for (int i = 1; i < n.Length; i++) { p = Lcm(p, n[i]); } return p; }
    int Lcm(int a, int b) { return a * b / Gcd(a, b); }
    int Max(params int[] n) { int p = n[0]; for (int i = 1; i < n.Length; i++) { p = (p > n[i]) ? p : n[i]; } return p; }
    int Min(params int[] n) { int p = n[0]; for (int i = 1; i < n.Length; i++) { p = (p < n[i]) ? p : n[i]; } return p; }
    long Pow(long n, long p) { long t = n, q = 1; while (p > 0) { if (p % 2 == 1) { q = (q * t) % mod; } t = (t * t) % mod; p /= 2; } return q; }
    long PowUpper(long n, long b) { long p = 1; while (p <= n) { p *= b; } return p; }
    long Abs(long n) { return (n > 0) ? n : -n; }
    long Gcd(params long[] n) { long p = n[0]; for (long i = 1; i < n.Length; i++) { p = Gcd(p, n[i]); } return p; }
    long Gcd(long a, long b) { return (a == 0) ? b : Gcd(b % a, a); }
    long Lcm(params long[] n) { long p = n[0]; for (long i = 1; i < n.Length; i++) { p = Lcm(p, n[i]); } return p; }
    long Lcm(long a, long b) { return a * b / Gcd(a, b); }
    long Max(params long[] n) { long p = n[0]; for (long i = 1; i < n.Length; i++) { p = (p > n[i]) ? p : n[i]; } return p; }
    long Min(params long[] n) { long p = n[0]; for (long i = 1; i < n.Length; i++) { p = (p < n[i]) ? p : n[i]; } return p; }
    void Write<T>(T t) { Console.WriteLine(t.ToString()); }
    void YN(bool t) { Console.WriteLine(t ? "YES" : "NO"); }
    void Yn(bool t) { Console.WriteLine(t ? "Yes" : "No"); }
    void yn(bool t) { Console.WriteLine(t ? "yes" : "no"); }
}

static class Program
{
    static public void Main(string[] args)
    {
        Console.SetOut(new StreamWriter(Console.OpenStandardOutput()) { AutoFlush = false });
        var solver = new Solver();
        solver.Solve();
        Console.Out.Flush();
    }
}

public class StreamScanner
{
    public StreamScanner(Stream stream) { str = stream; }
    private readonly Stream str;
    private readonly byte[] buf = new byte[1024];
    private int len, ptr;
    public bool isEof = false;
    public bool IsEndOfStream { get { return isEof; } }
    private byte read()
    {
        if (isEof) throw new EndOfStreamException();
        if (ptr >= len)
        {
            ptr = 0;
            if ((len = str.Read(buf, 0, 1024)) <= 0)
            {
                isEof = true;
                return 0;
            }
        }
        return buf[ptr++];
    }
    public char Char()
    {
        byte b = 0;
        do b = read();
        while (b < 33 || 126 < b);
        return (char)b;
    }
    public string Scan()
    {
        var sb = new StringBuilder();
        for (var b = Char(); b >= 33 && b <= 126; b = (char)read())
            sb.Append(b);
        return sb.ToString();
    }
    public long Long()
    {
        long ret = 0; byte b = 0; var ng = false;
        do b = read();
        while (b != '-' && (b < '0' || '9' < b));
        if (b == '-') { ng = true; b = read(); }
        for (; true; b = read())
        {
            if (b < '0' || '9' < b)
                return ng ? -ret : ret;
            else ret = ret * 10 + b - '0';
        }
    }
    public int Integer() { return (int)Long(); }
    public double Double() { return double.Parse(Scan()); }
}


Measured memory_bytes: 13140