Solution:
Denote
x=VER−IA,y=GRE+ECE,z=GRE
Then obviously, we have
⇒(201+131 or 231+101)≤y≤(879+969 or 869+979 or. 769+989)332≤y≤1848⇒102−98≤x≤987−10⇒4≤x≤977,
hence it follows that
18484≤yx=z≤332977⇒1≤z≤2
This shows that z=GRE∈{1,2}. Hence, if R≥1, then RE≥1, which implies that 2≥GRE≥G. Thus, if R≥1, then it must be G≤2. In view of this and the assumption of the problem that the number GREECE has a maximum value, we will consider the case when R=0 hoping to get a solution with G>2. Then GRE=G0=1 for all digits G and E with 1≤G,E≤9, and therefore, the above equality becomes
VER−IA=GRE+ECE
which substituting R=0, can be written as
VEO=GOE+ECE+IA
Now we consider the following cases:
Case 1: G=9. Then V≤8, so VE0≤900, while the right hand side of (1) is greater than 900. This is impossible, and no solution exists in this case.
Case 2: G=8. Then (14) becomes
VE0=80E+ECE+IA
hence it immediately follows that V=9. For V=9, (15) becomes
9E0=80E+ECE+IA
Notice that for E≥2, the right hand side of (16) is greater than 1000, while the left hand side of (16) is less than 1000. Therefore, it must be E≤1, that is, E=1 in view of the fact that R=0. Substituting E=1 into (16), we get
910=801+1C1+IA
hence it follows that
109=1C1+IA
But the right hand side of (18) is greater than 121. This shows that G=8 does not lead to any solution.
Case 3: G=7. Then (14) becomes
VEO=70E+ECE+IA
Thus it must be V≥8.
Subcase 3(a): V=8. Then (19) gives
8E0=70E+ECE+IA
hence we immediately obtain E=1 (since the right hand side of (6) must be less than 900). For E=1, (20) reduces to
109=1C1+IA
which is impossible since 1C1≥121.
Subcase 3(b): V=9. Then (19) gives
9E0=70E+ECE+IA
hence we immediately obtain E≤2 (since the right hand side of (7) must be less than 1000). For E=2, (22) reduces to
218=2C2+IA
which is impossible since 2C2≥232. Finally, for E=1, (22) reduces to
209=1C1+IA
Since it is required that the number GREECE has a maximum value, taking C=8 into (24) we find that
28=IA
which yields 8=A=C. This is impossible since must be A=C. Since C=G=7, then taking C=6 into (24) we obtain
48=IA
hence we have I=4 and A=8. Previously, we have obtained G=7,R=0,V=9,E=1 and C=6. For these values, we obtain that GREECE=701161 is the desired maximum value.