  The present paper has been framed to show the effect of damping on the
propagation of torsional waves in an initially stressed, dissipative,
incompressible cylinder of infinite length. A governing equation has been
formulated on Biot's incremental deformation theory. The velocities of
torsional waves are obtained as complex ones, in which real part gives the
phase velocity of propagation and corresponding imaginary part gives the
damping. The study reveals that the damping of the medium has strong effect in
the propagation of torsional wave. Since every medium has damping so it is more
realistic to use the damped wave equation instead of the undamped wave
equation. The study also shows that the velocity of propagation of such waves
depend on the presence of initial stress. The influences of damping and initial
stresses are shown separately.
