In this paper we give a review on the computational methods used to
characterize the complex singularities developed by some relevant PDEs. We
begin by reviewing the singularity tracking method based on the analysis of the
Fourier spectrum. We then introduce other methods generally used to detect the
hidden singularities. In particular we show some applications of the Pad\'e
approximation, of the Kida method, and of Borel-Polya method. We apply these
techniques to the study of the singularity formation of some nonlinear
dispersive and dissipative one dimensional PDE of the 2D Prandtl equation, of
the 2D KP equation, and to Navier-Stokes equation for high Reynolds number
incompressible flows in the case of interaction with rigid boundaries
