using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.IO;
using static System.Console;
using static System.Convert;
using static System.Math;
//using Debug;
//using static System.Globalization.CultureInfo;
using System.Text;
class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        var sw = new StreamWriter(Console.OpenStandardOutput()) { AutoFlush = false };
        Console.SetOut(sw);
        Solve();
        Console.Out.Flush();
        //WriteLine(Solve());
    }
    static void Solve()
    {
        var num = Input.num;
        var ps = Input.ar;
        var ct = 0;
        for(var i = 1; i < num - 1; i++)
        {
            var ar = new[] { ps[i - 1], ps[i], ps[i + 1] }.OrderBy(v => v).ToArray();
            if (ar[1] == ps[i])
                ct++;
        }
        WriteLine(ct);
    }
}

public class Input
{
    public static string read => ReadLine().Trim();
    public static int[] ar => read.Split(' ').Select(int.Parse).ToArray();
    public static int num => ToInt32(read);
    public static long[] arL => read.Split(' ').Select(long.Parse).ToArray();
    public static long numL => ToInt64(read);
    public static char[][] gred(int h)
        => Enumerable.Repeat(0, h).Select(_ => read.ToCharArray()).ToArray();
    public static int[] ar1D(int n)
        => Enumerable.Repeat(0, n).Select(_ => num).ToArray();
    public static long[] arL1D(int n)
        => Enumerable.Repeat(0, n).Select(_ => numL).ToArray();
    public static string[] strs(int n)
        => Enumerable.Repeat(0, n).Select(_ => read).ToArray();
    public static int[][] ar2D(int n)
        => Enumerable.Repeat(0, n).Select(_ => ar).ToArray();
    public static long[][] arL2D(int n)
        => Enumerable.Repeat(0, n).Select(_ => arL).ToArray();
    public static T getValue<T>(string g)
    {
        var t = typeof(T);
        if (t == typeof(int))
            return (T)(object)int.Parse(g);
        if (t == typeof(long))
            return (T)(object)long.Parse(g);
        if (t == typeof(string))
            return (T)(object)g;
        if (t == typeof(char))
            return (T)(object)char.Parse(g);
        if (t == typeof(double))
            return (T)(object)double.Parse(g);
        if (t == typeof(bool))
            return (T)(object)bool.Parse(g);
        return default(T);
    }
    public static string[] Make<T1, T2>(out T1 v1, out T2 v2)
    {
        var r = read.Trim().Split(' ');
        v1 = getValue<T1>(r[0]);
        v2 = getValue<T2>(r[1]);
        return r;
    }
    public static string[] Make<T1, T2, T3>(out T1 v1, out T2 v2, out T3 v3)
    {
        var r = Make(out v1, out v2);
        v3 = getValue<T3>(r[2]);
        return r;
    }
    public static string[] Make<T1, T2, T3, T4>(out T1 v1, out T2 v2, out T3 v3, out T4 v4)
    {
        var r = Make(out v1, out v2, out v3);
        v4 = getValue<T4>(r[3]);
        return r;
    }
    public static string[] Make<T1, T2, T3, T4, T5>(out T1 v1, out T2 v2, out T3 v3, out T4 v4, out T5 v5)
    {
        var r = Make(out v1, out v2, out v3, out v4);
        v5 = getValue<T5>(r[4]);
        return r;
    }
    public const long Inf = (long)1e18;
    public const double eps = 1e-6;
    public const string Alfa = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz";
    public const int MOD = 1000000007;
}


Measured memory_bytes: 13524