#include <bits/stdc++.h>
#define ll long long
using namespace std;

const int N=1e9;

int main()
{
    ios::sync_with_stdio(0);
    cin.tie(0);
    cout.tie(0);
    int n;
    cin >>n;
    int o1=N,o2=-N,w1=0,w2=0;
    for(int i = 0 ;i < n ; i ++)
    {
        int x;
        cin>>x;
        //cout<<i<<": ";
        if(i%2==0)
        {
            if(o1<=x)
            {
                w1++;
                o1=-N;
                //cout<<"1 "<<x<<" ";
            }
            else o1=x;
            if(o2>=x)
            {
                w2++;
                o2=N;
                //cout<<"2 "<<x<<" ";
            }
            else o2=x;
        }
        else
        {
            if(o1>=x)
            {
                w1++;
                o1=N;
                //cout<<"1 "<<x<<" ";
            }
            else o1=x;
            if(o2<=x)
            {
                w2++;
                o2=-N;
                //cout<<"2 "<<x<<" ";
            }
            else o2=x;
        }
        //cout<<endl;
    }
    cout<<min(w1,w2);
    return 0;
}