Final answer:
The student provided an equation with a recursive definition of 'a', making it mathematically unsolvable. We require further clarification or a corrected equation from the student to provide a step-by-step solution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The equation presented by the student, a = 12(ab)h, appears to be mathematically inaccurate or incomplete as-is. The student might be trying to solve for the variable 'a' in an equation where 'a' is the subject. However, as presented, the equation is a recursive one where 'a' is defined in terms of itself, which is not a standard algebraic form.
To provide assistance to the student, further clarification of the original equation is needed. It is possible that there is a typographical error or a missing piece of information that would allow us to solve for 'a'. The student may be referring to a formula related to physical dimensions, with 'a' representing area, 'b' representing a base or breadth, and 'h' representing height, but without additional context, it is difficult to provide an accurate solution. If the student provides a corrected equation or additional context, a proper step-by-step solution can be offered.