The difference is INTENT. Admittedly the lady who was frightened by a mathematical formula demonstrated her ignorance, but ignorance is not a crime and neither she nor the mathematician intended to create an incident which is what you are proposing. I suspect the airline, TSA, and airport security police would take a very dim view of your little practical joke and at best you could end up being asked to leave the airplane and take a bus. You could even end up with a fine or even jail time.
Maybe yes, maybe no. There is absolutely no literal threat.
But, as I noted in my preamble, it's wholly moot. I would never travel with any electronic device which could be seized and searched by authorities, legitimate or otherwise.
