Summary of Significant Accounting Policies impact of recently issued accounting standards (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019		Sep. 28, 2019		Jun. 29, 2019		Mar. 30, 2019		Dec. 31, 2018		Sep. 29, 2018		Jun. 30, 2018		Mar. 31, 2018		Dec. 31, 2019		Dec. 31, 2018		Dec. 31, 2017
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Cumulative Effect on Retained Earnings, Net of Tax																			$ 0
Sales	$ 7,338,190		$ 7,078,118		$ 7,344,548		$ 7,155,991		$ 7,918,182		$ 7,490,445		$ 7,392,528		$ 6,875,613		$ 28,916,847	[1]	29,676,768	[1]	$ 26,554,563	[1]
Cost of sales																	25,618,466		25,975,856		23,197,595
Gross profit	822,943		798,841		814,909		861,688		975,370		923,778		932,820		868,944		3,298,381		3,700,912		3,356,968
Selling, general, and administrative expenses																	2,191,612		2,303,051		2,162,045
Depreciation and amortization																	189,790		186,384		153,599
Restructuring, integration, and other charges																	89,785		60,361		74,588
Total operating expenses																	3,190,685		2,553,400		2,411,232
Operating income	238,108		173,218		(549,190)		245,560		334,380		290,310		286,827		235,995		107,696		1,147,512		945,736
Equity in earnings of affiliated companies																	(2,765)		(2,332)		3,424
Gain (loss) on investments, net																	(11,831)		14,166		6,577
Loss on extinguishment of debt																	0		0		59,545
Employee benefit plan expense, net																	24,849		6,870		23,869
Interest and other financing expense, net																	(203,743)		(214,771)		(165,252)
Income (loss) before income taxes																	(111,830)		909,373		693,917
Provision for income taxes																	(88,338)		(187,799)		(286,541)
Consolidated net income (loss)																	(200,168)		721,574		407,376
Noncontrolling interests																	3,919		5,379		5,200
Net income (loss) attributable to shareholders	$ 112,013	[2]	$ 92,131	[3]	$ (548,966)	[4]	$ 140,735		$ 230,653	[2]	$ 176,533		$ 169,915		$ 139,094		$ (204,087)		$ 716,195		$ 402,176
Net income per share:
Basic	$ 1.37	[5]	$ 1.11	[5]	$ (6.48)	[5]	$ 1.65	[5]	$ 2.66	[5]	$ 2.02	[5]	$ 1.94	[5]	$ 1.58	[5]	$ (2.44)		$ 8.19		$ 4.54
Diluted	$ 1.36	[5]	$ 1.10	[5]	$ (6.48)	[5]	$ 1.63	[5]	$ 2.63	[5]	$ 1.99	[5]	$ 1.92	[5]	$ 1.56	[5]	$ (2.44)	[6]	$ 8.10	[6]	$ 4.48	[6]

[1] Includes sales related to the United States of $11,511,611, $12,157,306, and $11,038,930 for 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively.

[2] Net income attributable to shareholders includes a U.S. Tax Act benefit of $28,323 during the fourth quarter of 2018. Net income attributable to shareholders includes a pension settlement of $20,111 and loss on disposition of businesses, net of $5,813, and tax expense of $18,193 during the fourth quarter of 2019 related to the repatriation of foreign earnings and the wind down of the personal computer and mobility asset disposition business.

[3] Net income attributable to shareholders includes a loss on disposition of businesses, net, of $14,573 and personnel charges of $30,906 related to the operating expense reduction program, previously disclosed in July 2019, during the third quarter of 2019.

[4] Net income attributable to shareholders includes impairments of $697,993, a charge of $20,114 related to a subset of inventory held by its digital business, and a charge of $15,851 related to the receivables and inventory of its financing solutions business during the second quarter of 2019.

[5] Quarterly net income per share is calculated using the weighted-average shares outstanding during each quarterly period, while net income per share for the full year is calculated using the weighted-average shares outstanding during the year. Therefore, the sum of the net income per share for each of the four quarters may not equal the net income per share for the full year. As the company reported a net loss attributable to shareholders for the second quarter of 2019, basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to shareholders are the same.

[6] As the company reported a net loss attributable to shareholders for 2019, basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to shareholders are the same and stock-based compensation awards for the issuance of 1,614 shares were excluded from the computation of net income per share on a diluted basis as their effect was anti-dilutive. Stock-based compensation awards for the issuance of 651 shares, and 380 shares for the years ended December 31, 2018, and 2017, respectively, were excluded from the computation of net income per share on a diluted basis as their effect was anti-dilutive.