using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;
using System.Linq;
namespace Practice
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            var sw = new System.IO.StreamWriter(Console.OpenStandardOutput()) { AutoFlush = false };
            Console.SetOut(sw);
            Solve();
            Console.Out.Flush();
        }
        private const int MOD = 1000000007;

        static void Solve()
        {
            var n = Input.NextInt();
            var p = Input.NextInt(n);

            var list = new List<int>();
            var ans = 0;
            for(int i=1;i<n-1;++i)
            {
                list.Clear();
                for(int j=-1;j<=1;++j)
                {
                    list.Add(p[i + j]);
                }
                list.Sort();
                if(list[1] == p[i])
                {
                    ans++;
                }
            }
            Console.WriteLine(ans);

        }
        static int Func(int a, int b, int c)
        {
            if( a % 2 == 1 || b % 2 == 1 || c % 2 == 1)
            {
                return 0;
            }
            if( a == b && a == c) { return -1; }

            return Func((b + c) / 2, (c + a) / 2, (a + b) / 2) + 1;
        }
        #region よく使う便利関数
        static class Input
        {
            static char[] separator = { ' ' };
            public static bool IsEof { get; set; }
            static Queue<string> q { get; set; }

            static Input()
            {
                IsEof = false;
                q = new Queue<string>();
            }

            /// <summary>
            /// 入力予約
            /// </summary>
            /// <param name="items"></param>
            public static void SetText(IEnumerable<string> items)
            {
                foreach (var item in items)
                {
                    SetText(item);
                }
            }

            /// <summary>
            /// 入力予約
            /// </summary>
            /// <param name="s"></param>
            /// <returns></returns>
            public static bool SetText(string s)
            {
                if (s == null) return false;

                foreach (var elem in s.Trim().Split(separator, StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries))
                {
                    q.Enqueue(elem);
                }

                return true;
            }

            /// <summary>
            /// 内部queueに入力からの値をsplitして格納する
            /// </summary>
            /// <returns></returns>
            static bool read()
            {
                var s = Console.ReadLine();
                if (s == null) return false;

                foreach (var elem in s.Trim().Split(separator, StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries))
                {
                    q.Enqueue(elem);
                }

                if (!q.Any()) return read();

                return true;
            }

            /// <summary>
            /// 次のstringを一つ読み込む
            /// </summary>
            /// <returns></returns>
            public static string Next()
            {
                if (!q.Any())
                {
                    if (!read())
                    {
                        IsEof = true;
                        return "";
                    }
                }

                return q.Dequeue();
            }

            public static int NextInt() => int.Parse(Next());
            public static long NextLong() => long.Parse(Next());
            public static double NextDouble() => double.Parse(Next());

            public static List<string> Next(int n) => Enumerable.Range(0, n).Select(_ => Next()).ToList();
            public static List<int> NextInt(int n) => Next(n).Select(x => int.Parse(x)).ToList();
            public static List<long> NextLong(int n) => Next(n).Select(x => long.Parse(x)).ToList();
            public static List<double> NextDouble(int n) => Next(n).Select(x => double.Parse(x)).ToList();

            public static List<string> NextLine() => Console.ReadLine().Trim().Split(separator, StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries).ToList();
            public static List<int> NextIntLine() => NextLine().Select(x => int.Parse(x)).ToList();
            public static List<long> NextLongLine() => NextLine().Select(x => long.Parse(x)).ToList();
            public static List<double> NextDoubleLine() => NextLine().Select(x => double.Parse(x)).ToList();
        }
        private static bool isPrime(long x)
        {
            if (x == 2) { return true; }
            if (x < 2 || x % 2 == 0) { return false; }
            long i = 3;
            while (i * i <= x)
            {
                if (x % i == 0) { return false; }
                i = i + 2;
            }
            return true;
        }
        private static long lcm(long x, long y)
        {
            return x / gcd(x, y) * y;
        }
        private static long gcd(long x, long y)
        {
            return y > 0 ? gcd(y, x % y) : x;
        }
        private static long pow(long x, long n)
        {
            if (n == 0) { return 1; }
            long res = pow(x * x % MOD, n / 2);
            if (n % 2 == 1)
            {
                res = res * x % MOD;
            }
            return res;
        }
        private static void Swap<T>(ref T x, ref T y)
        {
            T t = x;
            x = y;
            y = t;
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// 指定した値以上の先頭のインデクスを返す
        /// </summary>
        /// <typeparam name="T">比較する値の型</typeparam>
        /// <param name="arr">対象の配列（※ソート済みであること）</param>
        /// <param name="start">開始インデクス [inclusive]</param>
        /// <param name="end">終了インデクス [exclusive]</param>
        /// <param name="value">検索する値</param>
        /// <param name="comparer">比較関数(インターフェイス)</param>
        /// <returns>指定した値以上の先頭のインデクス</returns>
        public static int LowerBound<T>(IReadOnlyList<T> arr, int start, int end, T value, IComparer<T> comparer)
        {
            int low = start;
            int high = end;
            int mid;
            while (low < high)
            {
                mid = ((high - low) >> 1) + low;
                if (comparer.Compare(arr[mid], value) < 0)
                    low = mid + 1;
                else
                    high = mid;
            }
            return low;
        }

        //引数省略のオーバーロード
        public static int LowerBound<T>(IReadOnlyList<T> arr, T value) where T : IComparable
        {
            return LowerBound(arr, 0, arr.Count, value, Comparer<T>.Default);
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// 指定した値より大きい先頭のインデクスを返す
        /// </summary>
        /// <typeparam name="T">比較する値の型</typeparam>
        /// <param name="arr">対象の配列（※ソート済みであること）</param>
        /// <param name="start">開始インデクス [inclusive]</param>
        /// <param name="end">終了インデクス [exclusive]</param>
        /// <param name="value">検索する値</param>
        /// <param name="comparer">比較関数(インターフェイス)</param>
        /// <returns>指定した値より大きい先頭のインデクス</returns>
        public static int UpperBound<T>(IReadOnlyList<T> arr, int start, int end, T value, IComparer<T> comparer)
        {
            int low = start;
            int high = end;
            int mid;
            while (low < high)
            {
                mid = ((high - low) >> 1) + low;
                if (comparer.Compare(arr[mid], value) <= 0)
                    low = mid + 1;
                else
                    high = mid;
            }
            return low;
        }

        //引数省略のオーバーロード
        public static int UpperBound<T>(IReadOnlyList<T> arr, T value)
        {
            return UpperBound(arr, 0, arr.Count, value, Comparer<T>.Default);
        }
        #endregion
    }

    public class DisjointSet
    {
        private int[] rank;
        private int[] p;
        private int[] size;
        public DisjointSet(int n)
        {
            rank = new int[n];
            p = new int[n];
            size = new int[n];
            for (int i = 0; i < n; ++i)
            {
                MakeSet(i);
            }
        }
        public void MakeSet(int x)
        {
            p[x] = x;
            rank[x] = 0;
            size[x] = 1;
        }
        public bool IsSame(int x, int y)
        {
            return FindSet(x) == FindSet(y);
        }
        public void Unite(int x, int y)
        {
            Link(FindSet(x), FindSet(y));
        }
        public void Link(int x, int y)
        {
            if (rank[x] > rank[y])
            {
                p[y] = x;
                size[x] += size[y];
                size[y] = 0;
            }
            else
            {
                p[x] = y;
                size[y] += size[x];
                size[x] = 0;
                if (rank[x] == rank[y])
                {
                    rank[y]++;
                }
            }
        }
        public int FindSet(int x)
        {
            if (x != p[x])
            {
                p[x] = FindSet(p[x]);
            }
            return p[x];
        }
        public int Size(int x)
        {
            int root = FindSet(x);
            return size[root];
        }
    }
}


Measured memory_bytes: 13524