import java.io.BufferedReader;
import java.io.InputStreamReader;

public class Main {

    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
        try (BufferedReader reader = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in))) {
            int N = readInt(reader);
            int[] P = readIntArray(reader);

            int c = 0;
            for (int i = 1; i < N - 1; i++) {
                if (P[i - 1] < P[i] && P[i] < P[i + 1]) {
                    c++;
                } else if (P[i - 1] > P[i] && P[i] > P[i + 1]) {
                    c++;
                }
            }

            System.out.println(c);
        }
    }

    public static String readString(BufferedReader reader) throws Exception {
        return reader.readLine();
    }

    public static int readInt(BufferedReader reader) throws Exception {
        return Integer.parseInt(reader.readLine());
    }

    public static long readLong(BufferedReader reader) throws Exception {
        return Long.parseLong(reader.readLine());
    }

    public static double readDouble(BufferedReader reader) throws Exception {
        return Double.parseDouble(reader.readLine());
    }

    public static String[] readStringArray(BufferedReader reader) throws Exception {
        return reader.readLine().split(" ");
    }

    public static int[] readIntArray(BufferedReader reader) throws Exception {
        String[] str = reader.readLine().split(" ");
        int[] array = new int[str.length];
        for (int i = 0; i < str.length; i++) {
            array[i] = Integer.parseInt(str[i]);
        }
        return array;
    }

    public static long[] readLongArray(BufferedReader reader) throws Exception {
        String[] str = reader.readLine().split(" ");
        long[] array = new long[str.length];
        for (int i = 0; i < str.length; i++) {
            array[i] = Long.parseLong(str[i]);
        }
        return array;
    }

    public static double[] readDoubleArray(BufferedReader reader) throws Exception {
        String[] str = reader.readLine().split(" ");
        double[] array = new double[str.length];
        for (int i = 0; i < str.length; i++) {
            array[i] = Double.parseDouble(str[i]);
        }
        return array;
    }

    public static int[][] readIntMatrix(BufferedReader reader, int N) throws Exception {
        int[][] matrix = new int[N][];
        for (int i = 0; i < N; i++) {
            matrix[i] = readIntArray(reader);
        }
        return matrix;
    }

    public static long[][] readLongMatrix(BufferedReader reader, int N) throws Exception {
        long[][] matrix = new long[N][];
        for (int i = 0; i < N; i++) {
            matrix[i] = readLongArray(reader);
        }
        return matrix;
    }

    public static double[][] readDoubleMatrix(BufferedReader reader, int N) throws Exception {
        double[][] matrix = new double[N][];
        for (int i = 0; i < N; i++) {
            matrix[i] = readDoubleArray(reader);
        }
        return matrix;
    }

    public static int[] extractArray(int[][] matrix, int index) {
        int[] array = new int[matrix.length];
        for (int i = 0; i < matrix.length; i++) {
            array[i] = matrix[i][index];
        }
        return array;
    }

    public static long[] extractArray(long[][] matrix, int index) {
        long[] array = new long[matrix.length];
        for (int i = 0; i < matrix.length; i++) {
            array[i] = matrix[i][index];
        }
        return array;
    }

    public static double[] extractArray(double[][] matrix, int index) {
        double[] array = new double[matrix.length];
        for (int i = 0; i < matrix.length; i++) {
            array[i] = matrix[i][index];
        }
        return array;
    }

}


Measured memory_bytes: 21332