#include <bits/stdc++.h>   using namespace std;   const int MAXN = 300005;   const int MAXINT = 1073741823;   vector<int> neighbors[MAXN];   int a[MAXN];   int greater_right[MAXN];   int greater_left[MAXN];   int less_right[MAXN];   int less_left[MAXN];   int dp[MAXN];   stack<int> s;   int main() {     ios::sync_with_stdio(false);     cin.tie(0);     int n;     cin >> n;     for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) cin >> a[i];     for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {       while (!s.empty() && a[s.top()] < a[i]) s.pop();       greater_left[i] = (s.empty() ? -1 : s.top());       s.push(i);     }     stack<int>().swap(s);     for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {       while (!s.empty() && a[s.top()] > a[i]) s.pop();       less_left[i] = (s.empty() ? -1 : s.top());       s.push(i);     }     stack<int>().swap(s);     for (int i = n - 1; i >= 0; i--) {       while (!s.empty() && a[s.top()] < a[i]) s.pop();       greater_right[i] = (s.empty() ? -1 : s.top());       s.push(i);     }     stack<int>().swap(s);     for (int i = n - 1; i >= 0; i--) {       while (!s.empty() && a[s.top()] > a[i]) s.pop();       less_right[i] = (s.empty() ? -1 : s.top());       s.push(i);     }     for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {       if (greater_left[i] != -1) neighbors[greater_left[i]].push_back(i);       if (greater_right[i] != -1) neighbors[i].push_back(greater_right[i]);       if (less_left[i] != -1) neighbors[less_left[i]].push_back(i);       if (less_right[i] != -1) neighbors[i].push_back(less_right[i]);     }     fill(dp, dp + n, MAXINT);     dp[0] = 0;     for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)       for (int j : neighbors[i]) dp[j] = min(dp[j], dp[i] + 1);     cout << dp[n - 1];     return 0;   }   