using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
#if !DEBUG
    using System.IO;
#endif


public class Program {
    public static void Main() {
        #region SetAutoFlushIsFalse
#if !DEBUG
        var sw = new StreamWriter(Console.OpenStandardOutput()) { AutoFlush = false };
        Console.SetOut(sw);
#endif
        #endregion
        var n = ReadLib.ReadAsInt();
        var pArr = ReadLib.ReadAsIntArray();
        var cnt = 0;
        for (int i = 1; i < n - 1; i++) {
            if((pArr[i-1] < pArr[i]) && (pArr[i] < pArr[i + 1]) || (pArr[i + 1] < pArr[i]) && (pArr[i] < pArr[i - 1])) {
                cnt++;
            }
        }

        Console.WriteLine(cnt);

        #region Flush
#if !DEBUG
        Console.Out.Flush();
        sw.Close();
#endif
        #endregion
    }
}

static class Calculation {

}

static class ReadLib {
    public static long ReadAsLong() {
        return long.Parse(Console.ReadLine());
    }

    public static int ReadAsInt() {
        return int.Parse(Console.ReadLine());
    }

    public static int[] ReadAsIntArray(int step = 0) {
        return Console.ReadLine().Split(' ').Select(s => int.Parse(s) + step).ToArray();
    }

    public static long[] ReadAsLongArray(int step = 0) {
        return Console.ReadLine().Split(' ').Select(s => long.Parse(s) + step).ToArray();
    }

    public static ulong[] ReadAsULongArray() {
        return Console.ReadLine().Split(' ').Select(s => ulong.Parse(s)).ToArray();
    }

    public static string[] ReadAsStringArray() {
        return Console.ReadLine().Split(' ');
    }

    public static int[] ReadNTimesAsInt(int n, int step = 0) {
        return Enumerable.Range(1, n).Select(s => int.Parse(Console.ReadLine()) + step).ToArray();
    }

    public static int[][] ReadNTimesAsIntArray(int n, int step = 0) {
        return Enumerable.Range(1, n).Select(s => ReadAsIntArray(step)).ToArray();
    }

    public static string[] ReadNTimesAsString(int n) {
        return Enumerable.Range(1, n).Select(s => Console.ReadLine()).ToArray();
    }

}

static class MyMath {
    /// <summary>階乗</summary>
    public static long Factorial(int n) {
        if (n == 0) {
            return 1;
        }

        return Permutation(n, 0);
    }

    public static long Permutation(int n, int k) {
        return Enumerable.Range(0, n - k).Select(i => n - i).Aggregate(1, (b, i) => b * i);
    }

    #region FullPower
    /// <summary>総乗、π</summary>
    public static long FullPower(IEnumerable<long> vs) {
        return vs.Aggregate(1L, (a, b) => a * b);
    }

    public static long FullPower(IEnumerable<int> vs) {
        return vs.Aggregate(1L, (a, b) => a * b);
    }
    #endregion

    /// <summary>最大公約数</summary>
    public static long Gcd(long item1, long item2) {
        var a = Math.Max(item1, item2);
        var b = Math.Min(item1, item2);

        while (true) {
            long mod;
            Math.DivRem(a, b, out mod);
            if (mod == 0) {
                break;
            }

            a = b;
            b = mod;
        }
        return b;
    }

    /// <summary>約分。最大公約数で割ったものを返す。</summary>
    public static Tuple<long, long> DeviedByGcd(long item1, long item2) {
        var gcd = Gcd(item1, item2);
        return new Tuple<long, long>(item1 / gcd, item2 / gcd);
    }

    public static long Lcm(int item1, int item2) {
        return Math.BigMul(item1, item2) / Gcd(item1, item2);
    }

    public static ModCombination ModCombination(int maxN, int mod = 1000000007) {
        return new ModCombination(maxN, mod);
    }

    /// <summary>a^n mod</summary>
    public static int ModPow(int a, int n, int mod) {
        var res = 1;
        while (n > 0) {
            if ((n % 1) == 1) {
                res = res * a % mod;    // resにaをかける
            }
            a = a * a % mod;    // 次のaはa^2
            n >>= 1;
        }

        return res;
    }
}

static class MyMethod {
    /// <summary>数え上げて、key, 出現回数に変換</summary>
    public static Dictionary<T, int> CountUp<T>(IEnumerable<T> str) {
        return
            str
            .GroupBy(c => c)
            .Select(g => new KeyValuePair<T, int>(g.Key, g.Count()))
            .ToDictionary(e => e.Key, e => e.Value);
    }
}

/// <summary>あまりを計算するためのintのラッパー</summary>
struct ModInt {
    int Value { get; }
    int Mod { get; }

    public override string ToString() {
        return Value.ToString();
    }

    public static explicit operator ModInt(long value) {
        return new ModInt(value);
    }

    public ModInt(long value, int mod = 1000000007) {
        this.Value = (int)(value % mod);
        this.Mod = mod;
    }

    public static explicit operator int(ModInt modInt) {
        return modInt.Value;
    }

    private static void CheckNotEqualMod(ModInt item1, ModInt item2) {
        if (item1.Mod != item2.Mod) {
            throw new Exception("mod not equal");
        }
    }

    public static ModInt operator +(ModInt item1, ModInt item2) {
        CheckNotEqualMod(item1, item2);
        long value = item1.Value + item2.Value;
        return new ModInt(value, item1.Mod);
    }

    public static ModInt operator *(ModInt item1, ModInt item2) {
        CheckNotEqualMod(item1, item2);
        long value = Math.BigMul(item1.Value, item2.Value);
        return new ModInt(value, item1.Mod);
    }

    public static ModInt operator -(ModInt item1, ModInt item2) {
        CheckNotEqualMod(item1, item2);
        long value = item1.Value - item2.Value;
        if (value < 0) {
            value += item1.Mod;
        }
        return new ModInt(value, item1.Mod);
    }

    public static ModInt operator +(ModInt item1, int item2) {
        return item1 + new ModInt(item2, item1.Mod);
    }

    public static ModInt operator *(ModInt item1, int item2) {
        return item1 * new ModInt(item2, item1.Mod);
    }

    public static ModInt operator -(ModInt item1, int item2) {
        return item1 - new ModInt(item2, item1.Mod);
    }


    public override int GetHashCode() {
        return this.Value;
    }

    public override bool Equals(object obj) {
        if (obj == null || this.GetType() != obj.GetType()) {
            return false;
        }

        var modIntObj = (ModInt)obj;
        return modIntObj.Value == this.Value;
    }

    public static bool operator ==(ModInt item1, ModInt item2) {
        return item1.Value == item2.Value;
    }

    public static bool operator !=(ModInt item1, ModInt item2) {
        return !(item1 == item2);
    }

    public static bool operator ==(ModInt item1, int item2) {
        return item1.Value == item2;
    }

    public static bool operator !=(ModInt item1, int item2) {
        return !(item1.Value == item2);
    }

    public static bool operator >=(ModInt item1, ModInt item2) {
        return item1.Value >= item2.Value;
    }

    public static bool operator <=(ModInt item1, ModInt item2) {
        return item1.Value <= item2.Value;
    }

    public static bool operator >=(ModInt item1, int item2) {
        return item1.Value >= item2;
    }

    public static bool operator <=(ModInt item1, int item2) {
        return item1.Value <= item2;
    }

    public static bool operator >(ModInt item1, ModInt item2) {
        return item1.Value > item2.Value;
    }

    public static bool operator <(ModInt item1, ModInt item2) {
        return item1.Value < item2.Value;
    }

    public static bool operator >(ModInt item1, int item2) {
        return item1.Value >= item2;
    }

    public static bool operator <(ModInt item1, int item2) {
        return item1.Value <= item2;
    }
}

/// <summary>組み合わせ</summary>
class ModCombination {
    private int mod;
    private int[] fac;
    private int[] finv;
    private int[] inv;

    public ModCombination(int max, int mod = 1000000007) {
        this.mod = mod;
        fac = new int[max]; // modが法のn!の列

        inv = new int[max]; // indexの逆元の列
        finv = new int[max]; // modを法とした、invの累積の累積

        fac[0] = 1; fac[1] = 1;
        finv[0] = 1; finv[1] = 1;
        inv[1] = 1;

        for (int i = 2; i < max; i++) {
            fac[i] = (int)(Math.BigMul(fac[i - 1], i) % mod);  // factorを求める
            var s = Math.BigMul(inv[mod % i], mod / i) % mod;
            inv[i] = (int)(mod - s);　 // iに対する逆元を求める
            finv[i] = (int)(Math.BigMul(finv[i - 1], inv[i]) % mod);
        }
    }
    /// <summary>nCk</summary>
    public long Calculation(int n, int k) {
        if (n < k) return 0;
        if (n < 0 || k < 0) return 0;

        return (int)(Math.BigMul(fac[n], (int)(Math.BigMul(finv[k], finv[n - k]) % mod)) % mod);
    }
}

Measured memory_bytes: 13396