Abstract: Circuit for starting and operating a gas discharge lamp. The circuit includes a resonant circuit having a high Q during both starting and operating conditions of the lamp, thereby permitting a high lamp operating voltage to be obtained from a relatively low voltage power supply. The circuit comprises a power supply, an inductor-capacitor series-resonant circuit connected across the power supply terminals, and a lamp circuit connected in parallel with the capacitor of the series-resonant circuit, wherein the lamp circuit comprises a second capacitor connected in series with a gas discharge lamp.