Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 November 2017
Given a finite group $G$, the generating graph $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}(G)$ of $G$ has as vertices the (nontrivial) elements of $G$ and two vertices are adjacent if and only if they are distinct and generate $G$ as group elements. In this paper we investigate properties about the degrees of the vertices of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}(G)$ when $G$ is an alternating group or a symmetric group of degree $n$. In particular, we determine the vertices of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}(G)$ having even degree and show that $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}(G)$ is Eulerian if and only if $n\geqslant 3$ and $n$ and $n-1$ are not equal to a prime number congruent to 3 modulo 4.